The Middle Ground
by Symph22
Summary: There's more to life than meets the eye; it's never as straight forward as it seems. Sometimes in life you rise to great heights and can fall to terrible lows but maybe, just maybe, there is a middle ground. What starts off as a young boy's journey of self-discovery and adventure is soon turned into something else entirely.
1. Prologue

**Prologue: And On That Farm He Had A Miltank**

'Hoothoot, Hoothoot, Hoothoot,'

My alarm clock - the one thing I hate the most. Pokemon – the one thing I love the most.

But it wasn't farming I loved. The monotony of doing the same things every day for sixteen years really took its toll, and when I asked my mum if I could go travelling someday she always said, "No. We need you on the farm". But I knew for a fact that she didn't _need _me there, she just _wanted _me there.  
Growing up I'd always watch as pokemon trainers ventured out of MountMoon and headed past the farm for CeruleanCity. I was so envious that I'd even tried to run away with a Miltank once to challenge Misty the Gym leader, but I realised on the way that I had no control over the Miltank whatsoever so I hastily ran home - my mum being none the wiser.

I just wanted an excuse to get away from it all.

I tried to push these thoughts out of my mind as I got up because, after all, I _was _a farmer – that was my life. So I put on my gear and headed outside but as soon as I stepped out the door all I could see was a blanket of spearow on the crop field.

"Oh no…" I thought as I ran towards the birds waving my arms shouting "Get away! Go on!" The Spearow frantically took off in all different directions and I had to shield my eyes to stop them flying into them.

Thankfully they hadn't chewed much of the crop – It was bad enough that the CeruleanCave collapsed the year before destroying most of our crops _and _the scarecrow.

'Alex! Alex!' My mum shouted out to me 'You've got a letter from Ivy!'

'What could my sister want?' I thought to myself as I returned to the house.

My big sister; The famous Professor Ivy of the OrangeIslands. The pride and Joy of the family – I could never live up to her; always hearing, 'You should be more like Ivy' from my dad.

'Open it, open it, open it!' My mum said excitedly.

I tore open the envelope and read the letter aloud:

_'Dear Alex, Mum and Dad_

_I'm doing fine here in the Orange islands, but I am very busy conducting some important research at the moment on physiological development of a certain pokemon and I have something that I need you to look after. I had it delivered to the Pokemart in PewterCity and I told them that Alex is going to pick it up. How is everyone at home?_

_ Love,_

_ Ivy'_

'That's it' I said. 'I best go get packing then.'

'That was an odd letter.' Mum remarked with an odd look on her face. 'But if you're going then make sure you take clean pants and socks!'

'I will mum' I said running up the stairs.

Unbeknownst to her there was more to the letter. At the bottom it read:

'Ps: Alex – pack for more than a hike to PewterCity.'

Filled with excitement I crammed as much as I could into a small bag so not to arouse suspicion – not forgetting the essentials like my Poketch and map, and headed downstairs to say good-bye. I stood at the door and my mum came up behind me and hugged me ferociously but gently at the same time and said 'Be careful out there.'

It was at this moment that my excitement turned to sadness, almost guilt that I'd be leaving her for so long when she thinks I'd be gone for just a few days. So I returned her hug and took it all in until I was ready to go.

'Bye mum' I said as I walked out the door. I strolled onto the path determined to not look back as I knew she'd be standing there.

'Next stop: PewterCity.' I said to myself.

'It's not an adventure – but it's a start.'


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1 – Mounts and Moon Stones**_

At first, all I could think about while walking down the road to Mount Moon was what my sister could possibly have in store for me. Why would I need to pack for longer than a few days? Why take me to Pewter City and not into Cerulean?

These thoughts soon faded out of my mind when I arrived upon the entrance to Mount Moon; a large, rocky archway leading to a dense cavern of nasty twists and turns that could get someone lost very easily. I'd never been inside by myself before – always too afraid to get lost, so I'd take a shortcut through the trees. Mount Moon itself was surrounded, much like Viridian City, by dense forests, home to all manner of pokemon.

I Stared up at the structure and chickened out yet again, turning towards the trees for the route I knew when all of a sudden I heard a voice calling out, "Hey! You!"

"Me?" I asked, turning around once again to see it was boy, a few years older than me, running at full speed towards me. He had scruffy blonde hair, was dressed head to foot in red and carried a green rucksack on his back.

He stopped right in front of me, gasping for air. I could straight away tell that he was worried about something from his expression. "Please, -gasp- you have to help me."

"Sure, what's wrong?" I asked.

"-gasp- It's my sister. –gasp- She was supposed to meet me at the Cerulean Pokemon Center an hour ago! She was coming here from Pewter City, – I-I came ahead but she said she was going to be right behind me – Did you come from Mount Moon?!"

"No." I said "I was just going to Pewter through the woods, do you need help looking for her?"

"Oh please if you would. Now come on we've gotta go check inside Mount Moon!" He said running off into the cave shouting "Aprilll!"  
"-Wait!" I cried, as I ran in and tackled him to the floor just as a flock of Zubat screeched and flew out the entrance.

The boy looked stunned as I got up and put out my hand to him.  
"Whoa.." he said in shock, "Thanks!"

"You have to be more careful around here – especially at night; all kinds of pokemon wander around." I said as I pulled him to his feet. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Adam." He said quickly trying to run off again. I grabbed his arm.

"Hold on a minute –"  
"But –"  
"-NO BUTS! Now First things first; my name is Alex and I don't think your sister will be in here somehow."

"Why not?!"

"Because loads of Pokemon trainers come through here every day, and I think if one of them saw a girl who was lost they would help her!"

"Well then where could she be?!"

"There's another, lesser known route going around the outside of Mount Moon through the forest. It's actually a lot quicker – she probably went that way. Look, follow me."

I led Adam into the woods opposite and we both called out to April as loud as we could. "Argh! She can't hear us!" Adam said in frustration.

He then threw a pokeball from his pocket into the air and a bright flash of light shot out and formed a pokemon covered in scruffy white fur.

**"****Key Key!"** It shouted.

"Wooooow, what is that?"

"Its my Mankey. Now Mankey," he said kneeling down, "I want you to go find April. Can you do that?"

**"****Key!"** Mankey cried, launching itself to the trees.

"Now I think we should split up" He said

"Yeah," I nodded, "we'll cover more ground that way."

-

As night closed in it became harder and harder to clamber through the forest.  
"Oof!" I cried as I fell to the ground.

I looked behind me to see that I had tripped on a bush._ 'How can I find this April girl if I can't even see where I'm going?'_ I thought to myself, rising to my feet.  
_'I don't even know what she looks like! …Maybe we shouldn't have split –'_ I immediately froze as I noticed something creepy crawling up my t-shirt.

**"****Spinarak!"**  
"-Ah-ahh- AHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screeched as I ran away as fast as I could, all the while frantically brushing my chest.

After running out of breath, I relaxed against a tree. "Ugh – I hate spiders."

In the distance I could hear Adam's cries echoing into the darkness, but as I listened something else caught my ear. A chorus of** "Clefairy, Clefairy"** was coming from all directions. I looked above me towards a strange, yet gentle light, and perched on a branch was a pair of Clefairy swinging their legs and singing away carefreely. I looked to the next tree and there sat two more, as well as the next and every tree in my sight.

_'Amazing.'_ I thought to myself as I gazed in awe. Suddenly – the singing stopped. Then they all raised and arm and seemed to be pointing straight on through the row of trees. "Do you want me to go that way?" I asked, hoping they'd understand.

A Clefairy stood up and nodded with a smile. Before I could ask them if they'd seen April they all vanished into the trees.

I decided I had nothing to lose and ran in the direction they had pointed out to me, and in the distance I could see a light – the same light the Clefairy gave off, but bigger.

As I neared the light I could hear a Clefairy chant – the same chant I heard before, only… it was louder.

In front of me now was a bush; whatever the Clefairy were leading me to it was behind here. I peered through an opening to see masses of Clefairy singing and dancing in a perfect circle, as if to be performing a ritual. They pranced in perfect harmony; twirling as they gracefully jumped into the air.

Adam's Mankey seemed to be joining in and having plenty of fun; but dancing out of place and clapping its hands at the completely wrong times, which seemed to make the whole thing seem much less majestic.

_'Why isn't Mankey more concerned about April?'_ I thought to myself._'He might know something.'_

"Mankey!" I whispered. But he seemed not to hear me, so I tried again. "Mankey!" I whispered slightly louder.

All of a sudden the Clefairy froze simultaneously, and faced my direction. I quickly ducked back into the bush hoping they hadn't seen me. The piter-patter of tiny footsteps scurrying away then came from behind the bush.

_'Are they coming for me? No… they're going away from me.'_

I then peered through the bush again to see an open mass of forest covered in rocks, with no Pokemon in sight – even Mankey had ran away. I rose to my feet and stepped out to look around, just what had the Clefairy been dancing around?

And as soon as that thought entered my mind, I saw something – some_one_! Lying on the floor. Lifeless.

I ran over to the person – it was a girl, about my age too. She was covered in scratches, blood and bruises. Her pink and white clothes torn up and stained, and her brown hair strewn wildly across her face.

"April? April is that you?" I asked, crouching down to her.  
"Oh God... ADAM!" I called out assuming it was her. "I FOUND HER, ADAM!"

Silence.

_'Oh he's probably gone too far away already, now what'll I do?'_ I thought.

I'd bought no medical supplies; this wasn't the kind of thing I thought I'd run into – I was afraid to touch her in case of causing more harm.

"…hel…ni..ran…d..m." Came a mutter from the girl.

"What? What was that?"

She repeated the same muffled sound again and again.

"Sorry I don't understand.. hold on – I'll be right back!" I said to her as I stood up. "ADAM!"

I ruffled through my bag knowing I'd packed it somewhere. "Aha!"  
From my bag took out my Phone and dialled 9-9-9.

-ring-ring-ring-  
-ring-ring-ring-  
"H..lo?" came a voice on the other end.  
"Officer Jenny! I need help – I found a girl in the woods around Mount… – Officer Jenny?"  
"Hel…Wh..ts..yo..r..posit..n…he..lo?"  
"Officer Jenny I can't— You're breaking up!"  
-Beeep-beeeep-beeep-

"No!" I shouted as I looked at my phone, only to be met with the 'no signal' message.

Suddenly I heard a noise from the bushes around me. I hurried back over to the girl, "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Get… "

The bushes all around me started rustling more ferouciously. Violenter and violenter it got, until something stepped out. It was a small, rabbit-like pokemon. A male Nidoran.

**"****Nidooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooo!"** it howled out into the echoing woods.

"That can't be good.." I said nervously.  
Suddenly more and more Nidoran, of both genders, stepped out of the bushes surrounding me.

"Heh heh.. niice pokemon." I said as I slowly backed against a pile of rocks, that were half the size of me, next to the girl.  
Then, from behind me, I heard a sudden rustle and then a figure appeared by my side.

"Adam!" I gasped.

"Where is she?! Where's April?" he said frantically.

"She's right here." I said pointing downwards, "but I think we might have a bigger problem at the moment..." As I changed the direction of my finger to in front of us.

"Oh no.." Adam said as many Nidorino and Nidorina appeared to join the ranks of the pokemon and started growling in a hostile manner.  
Adam slowly lent down and picked up his badly injured sister.

"You're going to be all right April, I promise." He said with a smile.

"Ad….am" April muttered.

The group of pokemon began to draw nearer and nearer, as if telling us to leave their territory, or face certain death.

"Okay Alex, we need to back away –"  
"-Adam watch out!" I said as a Nidorino started to charge in his direction.

Adam quickly turned full-circle and started running as fast as he could, although at the rate he was running that Nidorino would surely catch up to him.

"Ha! Take that!" I said as I began throwing rocks from the pile behind me at the charging Pokemon.

The first rock flew through the air and hit the Nidorino on the head, and it seemed to stop, stunned. I grabbed some rocks, and quickly ran past it, throwing more as I went.

"Alex- No! Don't throw them! They're moon…stones."

"Why what's so bad about that?" I asked as I caught up to him.

But Adam's warning had come too late as the Nidorino was encased in a blinding white light and grew larger and larger until a new pokemon stood in its place.  
**"****NIDOKIING!"** It roared.

"..Oh."

"Run Alex, run!" Adam shouted as the Nidoking began charging at us.

We ran as fast as we could, dodging trees along our way. Adam was really fast, even considering he was carrying another person, and Nidoking was right behind me; it raised one of its arms and threw it to the ground with such power but it luckily missed me by not even an inch.

I hadn't noticed but the Clefairy were once again in the trees, dangling their legs, and singing their song – Mankey along with them.

"What're they doing?" Adam panted, running out of breath.

As I looked up I could see them waving their arms and one finger back and forth, again and again with a chorus of**"Clefairy, Clefairy." **

All of a sudden their hands all began to glow as they stopped chanting, and an orange light began to gather. Nidoking stopped to gaze at the light, until the light transformed into a shining pillar of orange light, which struck Nidoking with full-force.

The ground shook as Nikoking fell to the floor unconscious.

"What... was that?" I asked as a gazed in awe.

"I think.. that was a Hyper beam!" Adam stated.

"But from where?"

The Clefairy chorus faded away and the Clefairy disappeared from sight.

**"****Key-key!"** Mankey cried as he swung through the trees, jumped down beside me and looked up to me.

"Mankey?" I asked.

**"****Key!" **Mankey cried as he jumped towards and opening in the trees.

"Hey Adam, we need to get April to the Hospital! ..Adam?"

I turned around and Adam had disappeared in the direction of lights from a sea of buildings.

Pewter City… It'd never looked better.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2 – Call Me Joy**_

"Adam, wait!" I cried as I chased after him down a grassy hill and into the city. Unsurprisingly, Adam wasn't wasting anytime in looking for a hospital for his sister.

Despite the immense amount of lights that came from the city's windows, the streets we're surprisingly dark and empty; almost dead. My chest pounded; every breath was beginning to hurt me a little bit more. I followed Adam around corner after corner, each time he was getting further and further away.

_'I can't stop.'_ I thought to myself. _'I'll lose them.'_

The further I ran into the city, the darker the lights became. That was until My legs gave way and I fell to the floor; for some reason i could feel all my energy being drained out of me. I reached out and tried to call out "Ad…am" but what exited my mouth was nothing more than a mere whisper as the city's darkness seemed to engulf me.

-

I awoke to the loud sound of a helicopter flying low overhead and to a woman's voice.

"Hello? C'mon, Wake up!" The voice said.

As I opened my eyes, and a face began to form I recognised.

"Officer…. Jenny?" I said bewildered and slightly dazed.

"That's right." She said with a wink. "Are you okay?"

"I think so… I must've just fell over. What're you doing here?"

"Well I was making my rounds when I received a call from someone who sounded in distress. I traced the caller and It came from this direction, and that was when I found you collapsed on the floor." She said as she pulled me to my feet.

Jenny's expression changed dramatically. "You're not okay – you have blood all over you! Get me nurse Joy now!" She yelled at one of her subordinates by her squadbike.

"But.. I'm not cut." I said as I looked to the floor where I was lying to see a trail of blood stretching ahead of me. "It isn't mine.." I said as the memory of what'd happened came flooding back to me.

"It's not your blood? What've you been doing?!" Jenny asked, as her voice became slightly more hostile.

"I've got no time to explain, my friend was injured and – I have to follow that trail of blood!"

"I understand, Get on!" she said as she hopped onto her squad bike.

"Thank you so much!" I said as I jumped on the back.

Jenny sped straight off, following the blood street by street.

"There's no way your friend would make it to the hospital losing this much blood, it's all the way on the other side of town! He probably went to the pokecentre instead. Here, I know a shortcut!"

Jenny made a sharp turn into an alleyway, "Whoaaa!" I screamed as Jenny knocked down trash cans, flattened boxes and scared away feeding ratata as she went. This woman wasn't head of the police for nothing! Her steering was amazing.

Moments later we arrived outside a building covered in reds and whites which seemed to be as clean as a whistle. This was definitely a Pokemon Centre.

"You head inside!"

"Thanks officer Jenny!" I said as I ran inside without looking back.

I dashed across the yellow-tiled floor for the reception desk, but there was no one there, but behind the desk something caught my eye. Through the clear glass wall I could see three Chanseys and a Belissey fussing over something on a table in the next room. It was then I caught a glimpse of the pink and white clothing I'd seen earlier.

_'April!'_ I thought to myself with relief. _'So they did get here… but where's Adam?'_

"Can I help you?" Came a kind and gentle voice from behind me.

I turned around to see a woman dressed in a nurses uniform with tied-up pink hair, looking up at me from a sofa behind me.

"Nurse, please. Did you see the boy that came in with that girl in there?"

"Do you mean this boy?" the nurse moved to reveal Adam's face behind her, lying on the sofa. "Truthfully they never really came in here. One of my Chanseys found this young man collapsed outside clutching this girl in his arms, and of course we brought them in here for treatment."

"He'd collapsed?! Are they going to be okay?" I asked, nervous of what the answer would be.

"Yes and his ankle was bleeding quite badly, but I've bandaged it up and he'll make a full recovery. As for the young lady.. She's still being examined I'm afraid. Do you know them well?" She said as I began to sit down.

"Truthfully... we only met today, and I've not even had a proper conversation with either of them. But for some strange reason I feel like I know them. Like I've known them for a long time in fact. Does that make sense?"

"Yes it does." she said with a smile which warmed my heart. "I have some work to do, but ill be right back, okay?"

"Okay, thank you nurse" I said.

"Please, call me Joy."

I gazed around the Pokemon Centre. It was nothing like I'd imagined it to be. I expected it to be bustling with trainers 24/7, but it was completely empty! We always had someone come out to us if one of the pokemon on the farm needed treatment, so I'd never been inside a real one myself before, and this time it wasn't even for a pokemon!

The electic doors slid as Officer Jenny then walked in from outside.

"Officer Jenny? I thought you'd be going back on duty?" I asked.

"Oh there's no need at this hour, and I couldn't miss out on what happens now could I?" She said with a wink. "I also need to ask nurse Joy a few questions." she said as she walked over to the counter where nurse Joy was sorting out some medical forms.

"h..p…r…l…no..huzzeh?" Adam began mumbling.

"Adam?" I asked. "Adam, can you hear me?"

"..pr..noo! –gasp-" Adam mumbled as he suddenly woke up.

"Alex?" He asked as if not quite awake yet.

"Hi Adam. You're in a Pokemon Centre… you collapsed outside."

"April? Where's April?" He asked as he tried to sit up.

"Shes being looked at in that room over there, don't worry, she'll be -"  
"-I want to see her." He said trying to stand up.

"Wait Adam, no! Don't walk on your leg!" I said trying to sit him back down to his seat but he just pushed me aside.

"April!" He yelled, getting Nurse Joy's attention as she looked up.

Adam hobbled over to the front desk where Joy and Jenny were.

"Please can I see April?" He asked.

"I'm afraid she's still being examined, please sir, try not to put any of your weight onto your leg, it will –"  
"-I want to see her, April!" He yelled even louder, slamming his hand on the desk.

"Sir please!" Officer Jenny added as she tried to restrain him.

"Adam, calm down! What's wrong, she's in the best place –"  
"Calm down?! She's the only family I've got left in the world, and shes lying in a hospital bed and you want me to be calm?!" Adam yelled as his voice began to quiver. "I can't do anything to help her, how am I supposed to be calm about that, Alex?!"

Adam began shaking and tears began trickling down his face as he collapsed onto the floor sobbing.

Jenny, Joy and I looked at each other before we leant down to help. We helped him back over to the sofa as he sniffed and wimpered, where he lay down and eventually fell asleep.

-

I sat on a chair next to Adam staring out into the night When officer Jenny pulled up a chair next to me.

"Are you okay Alex?" She asked me.

"Yeah.. its just that trail of blood – it was from Adam's Ankle. I was so worried about that Nidoking swinging for me I never even stopped to think that it might hit Adam. It was my fault Adam's leg got cut open, it was me who made the Nidorino evolve, and it was me who took so long to find April. I wasn't even looking that hard. Its just… they would've been a lot better off without me." I said feeling far too guilty to look her in the face.

"That's not true. You were the one who found her weren't you?"

"Yeah… but-"  
"-She would probably be dead by now if it wasn't for you. You saved her life."

"Well I wouldn't say that much, it was really Adam who ran all the way here with her."

"But he wouldn't have been able to do that without you."

I started to blush and quickly changed the subject.

"So, why is there no one around here? Its like a ghost town." I asked, hiding my face.

"Oh that'd be the Ceridian Curfew. Noones allowed out past ten."

"There's a curfew? Whys that?"

"Lately there's been a string of attacks and muggings from Cerulean to Viridian all occurring at night time, we don't know yet if it's a pokemon or a humans doing, but pokemon trainers in Viridian are having their pokemon stolen too. Its gotten to the point now that we can't allow people on the streets at night until we catch them."

"Wow.. that's bad." I replied.

"Yeah you were lucky you weren't attacked while you were passed out!" Jenny said with a laugh.

All of a sudden Nurse Joy yells to a Blissey, "Her heart rate is soaring! Get in here!"

I immeadiately rose to my feet and ran to the glass screen.

"What's going on?!" I Asked frantically.

"Its April.. I think she's waking up!"


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3 – Don't Tell Mum**_

"Adam, wake up!" I cried as I shook him from his sleep.

"Huh? What's up?"Adam replied.

"April's waking up!"

"Really?!" Adam said excitedly as he threw off a blanket that a Chansey had put over him earlier.

Adam ran over to the door of the clear-glass room just as nurse Joy walked through the other way. Adam stopped in his tracks and peered up at her expectantly.

"April has woken up and should now make a full recovery. Her wounds weren't nearly as serious as we first thought, but she still needs to take it easy for a few days." Nurse Joy said with a smile.

"May I see her?" Adam asked politely.

"Of course, go right ahead."

"Thank you nurse Joy!" Adam said as he ran past Joy into the glass room.

I immediately set out to follow Adam but something stopped me.

"Aren't you going inside Alex?" Jenny asked me.

I shook my head as I explained that I didn't want to impose anymore than I already had. After all – we were still strangers.

I leant down to pick up the blanket that'd fallen onto the floor as I looked into the glass room to see April stirring with Adam by her side. He let out a warm smile to which she must've recognised as she sat up as fast as the wind and clung herself to Adam; to which he embraced her back. I couldn't help but let out a smile as I walked back to sit down on my chair.

"Isn't that sweet?" Jenny said in a mushy voice. "They must be so close, to cry like that."

"Oh?" I looked across once again to see them both trembling in each other's arms.

"They must be.." I said as something tapped my hip.

I looked down to see a friendly face – a pokemon centre Chansey was holding out its arms to me, as if waiting for me to give it something.

**"****Chan-chansey."** It said sweetly.

"Hi." I said, unsure of what it wanted.

I looked around.

"Oh do you want this Blanket back?"

**"****Chansey!"** she cried with a smile. As I handed the crumpled mess that was the blanket to her.

The Chansey slowly waddled away and seemed to be in a world of its own.

"Chansey where are you going with that blanket?" Nurse Joy asked.

The Chansey kept on walking.

"I'm sorry that Chansey might as well be in the Orange Islands sometimes..." Joy said with a giggle as she looked back at her paperwork.

Suddenly I'd remembered,_ 'The Orange Islands! –Ivy!' _I thought. It had suddenly come back to me - why I'd come to Pewter in the first place.  
A ray of sunlight then caught my eye – _'How long has it been morning?' _I thought.

I glanced back into the clear glass room and saw April and Adam chatting away to each other as he laid April down in bed to rest. "I'm no use to them right now – they have each other." I said comfortably.

"Nurse Joy?" I asked.

"Yes Alex?" She replied.

"Is the pokemart open yet?"

"Yes, It's opened an hour ago when the curfew ended, why do you ask?"  
"Because I have a package to pick up!"

-

As the sun rose over the trees, the famous pewter aura began to appear more and more vividly in front of me. The streets were starting to fill with people who had places to go, and not slowly either. But just… where was the pokemart?

It was a right and two lefts from the pokemon center… or was it a left and two rights?  
_'Damn. Why do I get lost so easily?'_ I thought to myself.

Suddenly someone barged past me and I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder.

"OW!" we both cried as we stumbled across each other.

It was a girl a bit taller than me, with fiery red hair wearing a pokemart apron.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't see you there!" she shouted as she walked away in a hurry.  
_'She was wearing a pokemart apron… I have to follow her!'_ I thought.

I picked up my pace as I got hot on her tail dodging through the ever-growing crowds. I followed her street after street, corner after corner and I swear she went back on herself once and then as I turned the next corner I was confronted by an angry yet slightly scared redhead.

"WHAT?!" she yelled in my face as I instinctively jumped back and fell to the floor. "Why are you stalking me, huh?!"  
"I wasn't –" I said as I tried to dignify myself.  
"-I'm worried enough about being late for work without creeps like you following me!"  
"Wait – creep?!"  
"-Yeah, Creep! Now stop it or I'll get the police on you!" she threatened as she walked off.

I looked around to see people staring at me as I lowered my head and sulked into the next street only to see a pokemart standing right in front of me.

"Pssh.. figures." I said under my breath as I approached the entrance. "Well.. this should be fun."

The automatic doors opened in front of me as I poked my head through to check for signs of my 'stalkee'. From what I could make out, there was only one other customer and a few shelf-stackers. The coast seemed clear…

I snuck up to the front desk as a girl with a blue-haired bob watched my every move from behind a shelf, and looked around for a package but couldn't see anything even resembling one.

A door opened from behind the counter and a woman stepped out.

"Oh, hello sir, can I help… - YOU!" she said with a menacing look on her face as she realised who I was. It was the redhead I had run into earlier. "Come back for seconds have you?!"  
"No –no! - Let me explain!"  
"Explain to my pokemon - Houndoom!" she called out as she pressed the silent alarm.

Suddenly a dog with devil-like horns came bursting out from the back room and jumped over the counter and pushed me straight to the floor.

"Woah, whoa, whoa whoa!" I cried as I went crashing to the floor.

"Robin, what's going on?" asked the blue-haired shop girl who was watching me earlier.

"Oh I just caught this weirdo like, following me and TOTALLY checking me out earlier and now he's found where I work!" replied the redheaded Robin.

"Ewww, pervert!"  
"-I am NOT a pervert!" I cried angrily. "All I wanted to do was find the pokemart and you were in the uniform so I followed you here after you ran into me earlier!"

**"****Doom!"** Houndoom barked in my face as I braced myself.

"Oh I bet you like, loved that!" the blue-haired girl jeered.

"HA! Puh- lease, how hard is it to find a pokemart? There are signs for them all over town!" Robin said.

"There… are?" I said as the electric doors opened and I noticed a familiar black heels..

"What is it this time girls?" Officer Jenny said with a sigh.

"This CREEP, has totally been like, stalking me ALL day!" Robin said.  
"-Its true!" the blue-haired girl added.

"…are you sure this time?" Jenny asked as she walked over to me.

"It is NOT true! Officer Jenny, please help me!" I said as Houndoom growled at me inches from my face.

"Wait, I know that voice." Jenny said under her breath. "Houndoom! Off him!"

This woman's command over pokemon was amazing.

"Ugh, thank you." I said after Houndoom stepped off of me.

"Alex?" Jenny asked with a slight look of shock. "What're you doing here?" she said as she held out her hand and pulled me up.

"Well I only followed this girl here because she was wearing a pokemart apron and I was lost; I wasn't _stalking_ anyone." I said as I looked at Robin to try and make my point hit home.

"It's okay Alex, these girls are have a bit of an overactive imagination - They had 6 stalkers just last week!"

I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "So am I off the Hook?"

"Well, I think I know you're not the type somehow." Jenny said with a wink.

"Whoa…" Said the blue-haired girl in awe.  
"I know…" Replied Robin.  
"Did you see the way he manipulated a police woman like that?"

"Well there's a package I really need from here. Any chance I could pick it up now?" I asked Robin with a big, but awkward smile.

"Sure, they're kept in the back. I'll go get it. Alex wasn't it?"

"Yeah, that's it." I said.

"Is that the package from your sister?" Jenny asked me.

"Yeah, it seems like it's taken me forever to get it though."

"I'll bet, with the night you've had" Jenny giggled.

"Here we arrre!" Robin came out holding a bulky brown envelope and handed it to me.

I could feel the anxiety filling up inside me as I took the parcel from Robin.

"Well Alex? Open it!" Jenny retorted.

"Well… here goes."

My hands were trembling as I held the brown package with my finger poised to tear it open._ 'What is so daunting about opening a simple package?'_ I thought.

Jenny looked at me and then her bike outside.

"Come on Alex." Jenny began. "I'll take you somewhere more private. You look like you need it." She said smiling.

_'__Private..'_ I thought. "Sounds good." I said as we walked outside.

"See you around girls, and next time, don't be quick to call me - A girl's gotta rest you know." She said with a wink, putting on a pair of snazzy sunglasses.

-

We pulled up outside the pokecenter I'd left only a few hours ago, and all I could taste in my mouth was Jenny's hair that'd been blown in my face the whole way here. I wanted to tell her that she should go home and wash, but… that might've offended her a little bit.

"'There's a bench over there. That looks peaceful enough." Jenny said.

She'd pointed to a bench attached to the outside of the Pokémon centre in a green garden surrounded by trees and carefully placed flowers.

I walked over, feeling the grass under my feet and sat down. I couldn't wait any longer – it had to be done. I grabbed the package and ripped the brown paper with all my might to see… a red box, some tiny, round balls, a few phials of liquid and a letter marked; 'read me'.

_'__She wants me to look after this?' _I thought. Confused as to what my sister had given me.

I picked up the letter and read to myself:

_'__Dear Alex,_

_I'm glad you made it to Pewter City in one piece, but you've probably guessed that I didn't send you to get this package just so you could go back home._  
_I've sent you this because I know how much you love pokemon, and I want you to have the chance of doing what all those other children did six years ago – I want you to have an adventure. _

_I've packed some starting trainer essentials for your journey; a few pokeballs, medicines (You did bring a big enough bag, right?), and a Pokedex. This will tell you the information on almost any Pokémon you will meet, and should prove very useful to you._

_And last but not least, your very own starter Pokémon. Now it's important that you remember that this Pokémon, and any Pokémon you take with you on your journey, are not like farm Pokémon. You can't just simply wash and clean them every day; you have to show them love and respect if you wish them to show you the same in return. This is a rule every good trainer should know._  
_Now I believe that your starter pokemon will help you understand the different possibilities pokemon have to offer. There is however, a snag. Something is not as it seems, but I want you to figure it out as a new trainer and then phone me from a pokemon center to tell me._

_As for your journey, do not be scared about where to go - you're already in a town with a Pokemon League Gym! Head there after some training and give it all you've got! I'll be cheering you on._

_I know you loathed mum making you stay on the farm, but don't blame her for it – Get out there and explore all Kanto has to offer._  
_Good luck and all my love,_  
_Ivy '_

Suddenly everything went black.

"Guess whooo?" Quizzed a girl's voice.

"Er…" I paused.

And as hands were taken away from my eyes I could see a face pressed up against mine.

"Ahh!" I screamed as I jumped and dropped my things.

It was a girl, a familiar girl; my age. Straight, shoulder-length, brown hair; A treated scratch from the left side of her nose to halfway down her cheek; A bit of bruising on her right eye - But still looked happier than anything. Then I hit me – "April!" I exclaimed. "You're alright!"

"That she is Alex." Came a voice from behind me as I saw a blonde and red blur jump from behind me into the space next to me on the bench. It was Adam – looking happy and calm. The first time I'd seen him like it. "Thanks to you." He said with a smile.

"Oh! You dropped your things." April said as she bent down to collect my stuff from the package I'd dropped. "Sorry about that." She said as she handed them to me.

"That's alright, don't worry about it." I said.

"So you're a pokemon trainer?" Adam asked. "I didn't know that."

"Actually I've only just become one today. My sister sent me this letter - look." I replied as I handed Adam the letter. "Wait… I don't even know what Pokémon I have!" I said, not knowing how I could forget something like that.

I looked at my new pokeballs blankly. "Which one is it?" April asked.

"I…don't know." I replied.

"Just feel it." Adam said. "Feel it inside you and pick one. That's all it takes."

_'__Feel it, eh?'_ I thought.

I concentrated as hard as I could, picked a ball up and threw it into the air.

"Come on out, whatever you are!" I said proudly as the pokeball opened a brilliant red light formed a small, brown, fox-like creature.

**"****Eevo?"** It said as it sat there tilting it's head.

"It's a- It's a- … what is it, exactly?" I asked.

"Eeek!" April screamed "What wrong with its face?!"

The fox sat there with a small pair of beady eyes and a smile that stretched eerily far along it's face.

"Erm… Alex? Use your pokedex." Adam said.

"Oh, the red box?" I said as I picked up the pokedex and pointed it at the pokemon. A bell sound rang and a blue light lit up on the Pokedex.

**'****TheRe iS no DatA.'** It said in a jagged, electronic voice.

"What do you mean there is no data?! I thought this thing was supposed to have information on every pokemon?" I said frustratedly.

The light lit up again.** 'EevEe; The eVoluTiOn PokEMOn. EeVee HaS thE PoTENTial To evolve InTo Seven DIFFereNT Types OF PoKeMoN.'**

"Well I suppose that's what the letter means about the 'different possibilities Pokémon have to offer'." Adam concluded.

"And this picture here; Eevee's are meant to have a different coloured tip to it's tail. Yours doesn't. Weird.." April pointed out.

As weird as this all was - I didn't care. I had my own pokemon, and to me, it was the best one I'd ever seen.  
I knelt down and patted my legs and eevee came running up to me and I hugged him as hard as I could, stroking his soft fur as I did it.

"Hey Alex? What does this mean?" Adam asked as he pointed to something in the letter.

I got up, carrying Eevee in my arms and read the letter; there was a bit I'd missed:

_'__Good luck and all my love,_  
_Ivy._

_'__Ps: __Don't__ tell mum.'_


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Spiders, Poffins and Bunk Beds.**

After thoroughly reading Ivy's letter, we decided to walk around town for a while. Adam, being a more experienced Pokémon trainer than me, explained to me all the basic buildings a Pokémon trainer should know about. The Pokemart and the Pokecenter I'd already been to. But then there were the gyms, contest halls, and poffin houses to boot!

"What's a... poffin?" I asked Adam.

"It's a special type of Pokémon food, here – try feeding it to Eevee." Adam said as he took a strange shaped case from his backpack. He pushed a button as a small, pink cube appeared from within and he placed it in my hand.

"Is this it?" I asked.

"It doesn't look like much, but it's got everything a pokemon needs."

As small as it was, it did look quite appetizing - I was tempted to eat it myself. I didn't really want to wake Eevee up. It'd been quite content just sleeping in my arms since I first met it earlier; I couldn't bring myself to put it back into its pokeball.

I gently stroked its head as its brown ears perked up and beady eyes slowly began to open.

**"****Eevo?"** I said as it's button nose began sniffing as I moved my hand closer to it.

"I think it likes it" I said just as Eevee opened its humungous mouth and engulfed my whole hand.

"Ahh!" We all cried out, as Eevee quickly retreated to the floor and its mouth returned to its cheeky grin.

"What… was that?" April asked in shock placing one foot back.

Everyone was looking at Eevee in dismay while my hand was covered in sticky saliva. Eevee just scratched its ears with its back feet and began staring back at us blankly while tilting its head, not understanding what was going on.

"Well I think it liked the poffin at least…" Adam remarked.

"Yeah… and I'm glad my hand's still here." I replied as April giggled.

After walking around town some more, we decided to go back to the Pokémon centre for the night. As we were shown to our rooms by Nurse Joy, April seemed to be staying quite a few steps in front of Eevee who was walking by my side. I simply just couldn't get over the fact that Eevee was so friendly to me so quickly.

"Here we are." Nurse Joy said with her trademark smile. "Please enjoy your stay." She said as she opened the wooden door, which was surprisingly older-looking than the rest of the pokecenter.

The room was pretty basic with a wardrobe, two bunk beds and a window that was covered by a bush outside, obstructing the moonlight. April ran straight in claiming the top bunk, while Adam just laid his bag on the bottom as if to mark his territory. I had a whole bunk-bed to myself, but I decided on the bottom, just for easiness' sake as Eevee jumped on the bunk looking for the perfect spot to lie down.

We stayed up talking for alot of the night, but Adam seemed more interested with Ivy's letter.

"Mum..?" Adam muttered to himself. "Wait. Professor Ivy is your sister?"

"Yeah, but I don't really see her much. She's always busy with some research or another. Why do you ask?" I replied.

"Adam got his first Pokémon from professor Ivy – we used to live in the Orange Islands too, but –"

"Well I didn't really like the Orange league's style." Adam butted in front of April. "So I decided to explore Kanto and April tagged along with me."

"Oh I didn't know that." I said with a smile, pretending not to notice the blatent lie. "So is Mankey your starter Pokemon?"

"No, no. Mankey was my first Pokémon I caught from the wild. Professor Ivy gave me a different Pokémon - see for yourself." Adam said as he reached for a pokeball beside his bed and opened it. The red light began to form a strange shape on the floor and a red Pokémon with black stripes appeared.

**"****Ariados!"** It cried.

"Alex, I'd like you to meet –"  
"-S-s-s-spider!" I screamed as I scrambled to the safety top bunk and hid under my cover.

"Not a fan, huh?" Adam chortled.

Ariados began slowly crawling up the wooden walls towards me. I couldn't stop myself from shaking.

"I agree with Alex." April added. "Spiders are just gross."

"Ariados is NOT gross." Adam said in disgust as he swung his head away from us and withdrew his Pokémon.

I let out a much needed sigh of relief and released my grip on the covers before restarting conversation.

_'I hate spiders..'_ I thought.  
"So… do you have any badges?" I asked Adam.

Adam went on to explain that he had three badges from Lt. Surge in Viridian City, Misty in Cerulean and Flint from Pewter City. He and April told me some brilliant stories about each of them and an excitement filled up inside of me as I looked at Eevee curled up on the bottom bunk, barely able to wait to be able to forms memories of my own.

I had to ask them where they were heading to next, knowing that it would probably be somewhere other than where I needed to go, but I just didn't want them to leave.

"Well I figured the best place for me to go would probably be Celadon City, to try for the Rainbow badge. We're going to set off in the morning, so we can make good time." Adam said as April lowered her head onto her pillow, almost as if she was as sad as I was.

"Well then we should probably get some sleep for that early start tomorrow." I said, not wanting Adam to cotton on that I wanted them to stay.

"Good idea." Adam agreed.

We all said our goodnights as I climbed down to the bottom bunk and tucked myself in next to Eevee and closed my eyes.

I woke up shivering with scattered moonlight from outside shining onto my face.

_'When did it get so cold?'_ I thought looking at Eevee. It seemed unaffected, whereas I could also hear shivering coming from Aprils bunk.

I began to hear small footsteps coming from the corridor outside and our door slowly creaked open, and in waddled a familiar face. It was a Chansey with a medical hat carrying a blanket in one hand and a candle in the other – the same Chansey from the night before, I was sure of it. Chansey waddled up to me and held out a blanket to me.

**"****Chansey." **She whispered kindly to me, as if telling me to take it to keep warm.

"Thank you very much." I whispered back to her as I took the blanket and wrapped myself in it.

**"****Chan- Chansey."** She said turning on her heels and walking out the room quite content with herself, shutting the creaky door behind her.

I looked around to see if we'd woken anyone but they were both still asleep, and I really wasn't that cold anymore. April's shivering however, became louder. She seemed to be suffering quite badly from the sudden temperature drop.

I couldn't stand to see her like it so I carefully climbed the ladder beside Adam as not to wake him and gently placed the blanket over April. I could see she appreciated it as a smile of contentment stretched across her face while she slept.

And like the Chansey, I went to bed very much satisfied with myself. Waiting for dawn.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Two Sides To Every Story**

**(A)**

Sunlight - A welcome contrast to the chill of moonlight, beamed down upon my face as morning set in. Adam and April had already gotten up and ready, and were eating the breakfast the pokecentre staff had brought round;_ 'If a Pokemon trainer is ready to go at this time in the morning every day, then I've got some serious training to do…'_ I thought, rubbing my eyes.

Before we went our separate ways, Adam had agreed to show me to the Pewter city gym. I had fully expected the gym to be near the centre of town, and for it to be a tall and proud building filled with a long line of trainers each just as eager as the next to take on the mighty gym leader for a Boulder Badge. April warned me that the Pewter gym was nothing special, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to believe her.

"Well, here it is." Adam said, stretching his arm out towards a building made of solid stone. "The Pewter city Rock-type Gym. Cool, right?"

"Y-yeah.." I said in awe as a lump formed in my throat. In front of me stood an ominous looking building that looked as if it had been forged by raw power; as if boulder upon boulder had been tempered together to create this structure that was held together by the four giant steel girders that encased it. To be honest I was a little intimidated by it.

It was nothing like I'd imagined, no tall building, no line of trainers, this place was desolate - You could hear Pidgeys chirping from the surrounding trees. It wasn't even near the centre of town, nowhere near the tourist spot I thought it'd be.

"Cool? It's just a big rock! Cerulean Gym had much more grace and elegance." April exclaimed as she clasped her hands and drifted off into her own little world.

"Please. Gyms are about pokemon battles, not how they look." Adam sighed as he knocked April on the head, knocking her out of her daydream.

"Ow!" April said rubbing her head and looking at Adam as if warning him of some impending pain that would befall him if he touched her again. Adam seemed to know what the look meant as he took a step back away from her and she then directed her gaze at me and her expression completely changed to serene. "You see Alex, every Gym is designed around what type of pokemon the gym leader specializes in, so the gym leader really has full control over what the gym looks like. In this case I'd say Flint wasn't one with a very creative edge to him…"

"Should I go in?" I asked, staring at the building in front of me.

"You haven't even had a battle yet!" Adam sighed. "You go in there now, and you're bound to lose straight away. What you need to do is to train with Eevee. Bond a little and get some experience and you'll be ready in no time." Adam said putting his thumb up.

"Hey, I have an idea! Why don't you two battle?" April said excitedly.

"Hey that's a-" I began  
"—We really should be going if we want to make good time." Adam said as he turned to me.

"Oh, okay…" April said lowering her head as we began to walk to the town's exit.

As we neared the exit, a fork in the road appeared. It seemed like we had less and less to talk about until there was almost silence. And then Adam stopped in his tracks.

"So.. I guess this is goodbye then." I said, feigning a smile, holding out my hand.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Adam replied as we shook hands. "Take care of yourself, and good luck on your journey. I'm sure I'll see you and Eevee in the Pokemon League someday; losing against me of course." He said chuckling.

"Yeah I'm sure." I said. "Thank you so much for everything you've taught me, I hope I can help you someday."

"You already have." He said, looking over at April.

And before I knew it, April and I were hugging and I could feel something wet climbing across from her check to mine - she was crying.

"Thank you." She whispered in my ear as we embraced. It felt like we'd grown so close in such a short space of time but they had to go their own way – and I understood that.

When we let go, Adam turned around and started walking away signalling April to follow. As she did, I could hear them shouting a final goodbye to me as I waved them off, each of us taking the different roads ahead of us.

Looking down at Eevee, we were finally about to start our journey together as we began walking the dirt path ahead.

Training wasn't going to be easy, but first we had to find a Pokemon to fight. As we were walking along an under maintained dirt path that was riddled with weeds, I was studying Eevee's moves on my PokeDex. There was tackle, sand attack, quick attack and bite, but which was the most effective?

**"****Eevo!"** Eevee began to snarl.

I turned around to find Eevee taking an attacking stance with its tail pointing on end, growling at a rustling bush.

Was this a pokemon? Only one way to find out… "Eevee tackle the bush!" I commanded out loud on instinct.

Eevee nodded and ran towards the bush and turned on its side as it slammed through the bush with all the force it possessed. Now all I had to do was wait for the Pokémon to appear; I stood with my PokeDex poised, ready to analyse any potential attacker… but there was nothing.. not even a sound.

"Eevee?" I called out.

Suddenly I heard something slam to the floor and a huge cloud of dust arose from behind the bush. I shielded my eyes with my arm as the dirt cloud encased me and again I heard the sound of an impact. And then again! I had to take a look, so I began to slowly open my eyes and a shadow appeared through the dirt cloud hurtling towards me.

**"****Shrew!"** It cried as I felt its claws press against my chest and it jumped up, pushing me to the floor and knocking my PokeDex out of my hands.

I lifted my head to see a small Pokémon with sharp claws and beady eyes looking down on me, blocking out the sunlight. Suddenly I heard a bell sound and the blue light illuminated the PokeDex.

**'****Sandshrew; the mouse Pokemon. Sandshrew despise water, and live in holes they dig in dry places. It protects itself by curling into a ball and hiding its unprotected belly.'** The PokeDex said, a lot smoother than it did before as Eevee reappeared from the bushes, looking much more irritated.

**"****Eevo!"** It snarled darting towards the Sandshrew behind me as I scrambled out of the way and back onto my feet.

I struggled to remember Eevee's moveset before yelling without thinking, "Eevee use bite!"

Eevee suddenly began bearing sharp fangs from its gigantic mouth, the fangs were much too big to belong to a Pokémon of its size, and I'd never seen them before!

Sandshrew stood unphased until just at the last second it curled itself up into a ball and Eevee sucked its overwhelming fangs into the pokemon. I shut my eyes facing away, not bearing to look until I slowly opened them to see the Sandshrew-ball just motionless with Eevee and its giant fangs not even penetrating it!_ 'Surely fangs of that size could penetrate anything!'_ I thought.

I could see Eevee wrinkling it's face trying to penetrate the skin but not even making an indent.

"Eevee – stop!" I cried out. "Come back here!" I demanded pointing to the ground below me.

Eevee withdrew its fangs and gently plodded along the ground towards me. I leant down to inspect its mouth and the teeth were gone – they were normal sized for something of its size again… but the mouth was as big as ever though. Eevee looked at me oddly and I stretched its mouth from one direction to the next. It just seemed stretchy and it fascinated me,_ 'Is this the snag Ivy spoke about?'_ I thought.

Eevee began to pull away as I got too involved, and looked back at the Sandshrew-ball. I looked up too, surprised that it was still there – I'd expected it to flee but it was just rolling back and forth in its ball.

"Well.. if we can't hurt it… should we throw a pokeball at it?" I asked, looking at Eevee. "Yeah, just like they did on Tv." I said as I reached into my pocket pulling out a pokeball.

_'__Okay so I press the middle button like this...'_ I thought, remembering the step-by-step guide as the small red and white ball grew three times its size._ 'Get into position…' _As I put one foot in front of me and drew my arm back, trying to get a good shot; and then suddenly Adam's words popped into my head: "Feel it. Concentrate and connect with the Pokémon, and it'll work."

I paused for a moment, looking at Sandshrew. And then I remembered:  
_'__Step 3 - Throw!'_

**(B)**

I woke up with so many thoughts running through my head… each so different and yet the same, it was hard to concentrate on just one.

I had to get out of bed;_ 'Maybe some early morning training will get my mind off of things.'_ I thought, pushing the covers off of me. I quickly got dressed and slowly opened the creaky door in front of me to be greeted by a blinding beam of sunlight pouring through the window across the wooden hall, causing me to face back into our room while my eyes recovered from the torture. April began to stir, but Alex, even with this new warm beam of light on him, remained asleep.

Suddenly an immense sound travelled through the air, making April immediately scream and sit up from the shock. It was a gong being played over and over and over again by a parade of Chanseys marching through the hall, closely followed by a Blissey wheeling a food cart handing breakfast out to all the lodgers.

Now April was up, training could wait as I had someone to talk to. "Geez, they sure know how to wake people up, don't they?" I said smirking, shutting the door.

"Not him." April said as she looked over at Alex and began to chuckle.

"Wow. Talk about a deep sleeper." I replied as I began to laugh myself, not able to look her in the eye.

After a couple of minutes, April was dressed and Blissey had made it to our room and handed out breakfast to each of us, leaving Alex's by his bed.  
He still wasn't up, but Eevee's nose began to twitch as the smell of hot food wafted up onto the bed. It slowly got up, stretched, jumped onto the floor next to it, stared at it for a few seconds before engulfing the whole thing with that huge mouth of its. April and I stopped eating and stared in awe as it spat the plate out on the floor and just jumped back onto the bed and curled back up to sleep.

"Okay… that was messed up." April said, putting her plate down not wanting anymore, but nothing could ever stop me from eating.

Alex then woke up and stared down at his plate and said "Hey, where's mine?"

April and I looked at each other before she got up and smiled at him saying, "Here it is – I was keeping it warm for you" Before handing her plate to him.

"You need to eat too you know." I whispered to her when she sat back down again.

"Yeah, and I will later." She whispered back.

"Well, here it is." I said, stretching my arm out towards the gray structure in front of me. "The Pewter City Rock-type Gym. Cool, right?"

"Y-yeah…" Alex said staring up at the building. I could tell that he was a little daunted by the whole thing – he was more scared than excited; really the opposite to me.

"Cool? It's just a big rock! Cerulean Gym had much more grace and elegance." April piped up as she clasped her hands and drifted off into her own little world.

"Please. Gyms are about Pokémon battles, not how they look." I sighed as I hit her on the head, trying to knock some sense into her.

April cried out in pain but I knew I didn't hurt her. All of a sudden she got that look in her eye and I took a step back just in-case she decided to go crazy again. Instead of doing that she turned to Alex and said, "You see Alex; every Gym is designed around what type of Pokémon the gym leader specializes in, so the gym leader really has full control over what the gym looks like. In this case I'd say Flint wasn't one with a very creative edge to him…"

"Sh-should I go in?" Alex asked.

I could tell he hadn't even listened to a word April just said.

"You haven't even had a battle yet!" I cried out to him, sighing at his naivety before taking a breath. "You go in there now and you're bound to lose straight away. What you need to do is to train with Eevee. Bond a little and get some experience and you'll be ready in no time. I said, putting my thumb up as to not come down too hard on him.

"Hey, I have an idea! Why don't you two battle?" April said excitedly.

But then the thoughts began to re-enter my head. The only way I could think to get rid of them was to press-on - to become stronger. I needed to get to Celadon quickly; I couldn't waste my time with battles that I knew I would win.

"Hey that's a –"Alex begun.  
"—We really should be going if we want to make good time." Was all I could think to say.

"Oh, okay…" April said lowering her head.

As we neared the fork in the road at the exit of the city, conversation really took a nosedive until no one said anything. I stopped just before we were due to split off and faced Alex with April trailing behind.

"So… I guess this is goodbye then." Alex said smiling while holding out his hand.

"Yeah I guess it is." I replied, meeting his hand and shaking it. "Take care of yourself, and good luck on your journey. I'm sure I'll see you and Eevee in the Pokemon League someday; losing against me of course." I said while laughing.

"Yeah I'm sure." Alex replied. "Thank you so much for everything you've taught me, I hope I can help you someday."

Suddenly, my heart felt heavy, more than it had these past few days. I'd never thanked him for finding April, I hadn't even spoken about it to her yet. All I could manage was, "You already have." As I looked towards my sister.

Alex smiled, going a bit red and looking at the floor. April suddenly ran at him and started hugging him. He must've not been expecting it because he stumbled almost falling over. April was in tears in his arms - she really was sad to be leaving him behind; and I could tell that he felt the same way.

When she eventually let go of him I turned on my heels and began walking down a dirt path, signalling to April to follow before we both waved a final goodbye to Alex and his Eevee.

Walking along the path I was holding out my map, trying to figure out the quickest route to Celadon while April trailed behind me.

We hadn't even spoken a word since we left Pewter City – I had to keep looking behind me to check if she was still there. But something was sticking in my mind; it was eating away at me from the inside. For some reason every step I took, felt like a step away from April.

_'__I couldn't. Or could I?'_ I thought._ 'I shouldn't. Or should I?'_

I stopped in my tracks looking at April as she carried on slowly walking up to me. The bruising on her eye had just about faded but there was still a faint scarring where she'd been scratched across the face by the Nidoran.  
April stopped in her tracks as well, just before she caught up to me.  
I couldn't take it anymore – I had to tell her.

"-I want you to go with Alex!"  
"-I want to go with Alex!" We both blurted outloud simultaneously.

"-What?! Why?"  
"-What?! Why?" We cried again.

I stopped, not knowing what to say; I just looked at April. She was trembling and said, "Well… ever since that day back home, you haven't been the same... you ignore a lot of the things I say and you butt in front of people when you don't want to do something. You know, I wanted to be a Pokémon trainer just like my big brother, but you wouldn't let me - You said it was 'too dangerous' and then you dragged me on _your_ journey around Kanto. And then I find someone who I make friends with and you just leave him. I just want… some freedom. To be myself, to be free – to be a trainer. You know?"

There was silence for a minute before I began speaking.

"This is because… I... -I couldn't protect you, isn't it?" I said welling up.

"Noo… it's not that at all." April said, seeing how upset I was.

"I let you get attacked, and all because I wanted to get ahead to Celadon to get my next Badge. I… I left you." I whimpered, shedding a tear.

Ever since her attack, I hadn't been able to look her in the eye; it felt like if I did, all the panic, all the sadness and all the pain would come back to haunt me. I wanted to tell her… that it was my fault, that all I could think about now was getting more badges so I could protect her, because at the moment – I couldn't.

But I felt like Alex could. I didn't tell either of them, but last night I saw Alex put his blanket over April so she wouldn't go cold, and April giving Alex her food this morning so he wouldn't go hungry. They took care of each other and I knew they'd be safe together.

"That's why… I want you to travel with Alex. You can go on your own journey now, and maybe even become better than me." I said lifting my head up and looking into her eyes; smiling.

Her sky blue eyes were welled up with tears, the same as mine. But I could tell there was a happiness behind them as we hugged each other.

"It's not your fault... but thank you." She said as we let go of each other and she began to run back up the dirt path we came along.

Suddenly something dawned on me.

"April!" I cried out as I threw a pokeball up in the air and a brilliant red light revealed Mankey hopping up and down.

April turned around to face me once again.

"Now Mankey, I want you to go with April from now on. I need you to protect her when she needs you, have you got that?"

**"****Key-key!" **The pokemon cried running over to April enthusiastically.

"Now go get-em-all!" I yelled out to her while throwing Mankey's pokeball to her.

"I will!" April cried back, catching the ball with one hand.

-

"I will…" _She said to herself._

_And… after half an hour of walking with her newfound Pokémon, April saw a familiar face striking a very unfamiliar pose…_


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6 – The Snag**_

The pokeball flew through the air in a flurry of red and white, hitting the curled up Sandshrew and trapping it inside the ball. It rolled back and forth, much like Sandshrew did; the middle button flashing red.

"Did we catch it?" I asked, looking down at Eevee.

Then, the pokeball was motionless and the flashing stopped. I'd done it. I'd caught a Pokémon…

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I cried as I laughed joyfully, picking up Eevee and swinging it round in my arms. "We did it Eevee!"

Eevee let out a cry of joy much like my own, but as I walked over to claim our prize –- it was gone! I had to double take just to make sure, but it was defiantly gone.

"Maybe… it went back into the smaller pokeball? Quick Eevee, let's check the ground... maybe it fell down a hole or something." I puzzled as I got onto my hands and knees and scoured the ground for clues. But the more I searched the ground, the more dust I was spreading in my face, making it harder to see.

All of a sudden the sunlight disappeared.

'Is that… a shadow?' I thought, looking up and shielding my eyes from the sunlight.

Atop the luscious green bank was a girl with a Mankey climbing up onto her shoulder. As my eyes got used to the brightness I could see that it wasn't any girl – It was April!

"You know, you really should keep an eye on your Pokémon!" April said smiling as Mankey dropped the pokeball into her hand.

"You know you shouldn't really be going around stealing other people's Pokémon." I said smiling back. "What're you doing here? Where's Adam?"

"Adam… said that I could go on my own Pokémon journey. He said that I should travel with you since we're both only beginning as trainers. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, of course!" I said a little bit too enthusiastically; but I couldn't help it, I was just so happy to have someone to travel with again.

-

For a while April and I sat and talked whilst sitting on the bank. It was such a lovely day, the bushes were flowering, and the daisies were blooming in the grass all around us, and the sky was just the right shade of blue.

Mankey was occupying himself, swinging from a branch of the tree we were sitting under, while Eevee lay sleeping in the shade. Every so often a breeze would blow past and would knock Mankey out of the tree but he would just yell abuse at it and then climb right back up to where he was.

"You know… you were lucky to catch Sandshrew so easily." April said as she rolled Sandshrew's pokeball back and forth on the grass. "When Adam caught Mankey he had to try so hard that he almost gave up. I think Pokemon usually need to be worn out before you can capture them."

"Yeah I've heard that too… maybe Sandshrew just wanted to be caught." I said, confident in my ability to befriend Pokémon. "Actually I haven't actually properly introduced myself to him yet. Can I let him out?"

"Oh I'm sorry." April said, blushing. "I didn't realise I'd be hogging it for so long, here."

April handed me the pokeball and I threw it into the air. "Sandshrew, come on out!" I cried as the Pokémon appeared in a dazzling white light in front of me.

**"****Shrew?"** It said tilting its head looking straight at me.

"Hi!" I said as I waved to my newfound pokefriend.

**"****Shreeeeeeeew.."** Sandshrew said walking up to me on all fours.

The pokemon began sniffing me; my leg, my head, my arm, my hand – all over before finally perching itself in front of me, giving me a vague expression.

"Sandshrew, my name is Alex and this is April sitting next to me. And down here is Eevee and up there in the tree is Mankey. I'm sure we'll all be friends in no time."

Eevee woke up from its sleep and glanced over at Sandshrew. **"Eevo?" **it cried questioningly as it rose to its feet. Eevee perched itself opposite from Sandshrew and the pair just looked at each other.

"Are they… having a staring contest?" April asked.

"I dunno." I replied

**"****Shrew."** Sandshrew cried, whilst scratching the ground take a chunk out of the grass.  
**"****Vo." **Eevee cried, repeating the same action.

Sandshrew looked amused by Eevee's repetition of his movement.

**"****Shreeew, Shrewww!"** Sandshrew cried more jollily than before as it grabbed its two back feet with its front claws and began rocking itself back and forth.

"Haha, I think Sandshrew wants to play." I said as Eevee again tried to copy the pokemon but couldn't reach its back paws to do so.

Sandshrew began laughing uncontrollably and it rolled backwards a little too far and rolled all the way to the bottom of the bank and onto the dirt path.

Mankey clapped joyfully while hanging himself from the tree by its tail while Eevee had a smug look of satisfaction in its eyes. I gasped and ran to see if Sandshrew was okay but as soon as I got to the bottom of the bank Sandshrew was rolling back up the hill in its 'sandshrew-ball' and began to circle Eevee.

"Is he okay?" April asked.  
"Yeah…" I said just as I remembered the PokeDex entry. "Sandshrew is protected when it curls itself into a ball." I said with a sigh of relief as I sat back down onto the grass again.

Eevee began snarling while its fur stood on end, as if being hunted – I could tell it felt threatened. Suddenly Sandshrew stopped rolling around and presented itself in front of Eevee again and began digging a hole, faster than anything I'd seen dig before; within seconds he was gone! And with a glint of determination in his eye Eevee began digging as well, but at a tremendous speed. Sandshrew was made to dig, but how were Eevee's tiny paws digging so fast?

"They're both… gone!" April pronounced as we both scrambled over to the holes. They were not very wide but they were deep enough that we couldn't see the bottom. We both paused to see if we could hear them still digging but there was nothing.

"Eevee? Saaaaandshreew?" I cried down the holes.

"What if they're in China?!" April gasped, with a look of pure horror on her face.

All of a sudden something yellow came shooting up the hole and hit me straight in the face, knocking me over. "Oww…" I cried, wincing in pain. Before I'd realised it was Sandshrew, it's rolled up into a ball and rolled away down the bank and along the dirt path.

"Sandshrew come back here!" I yelled after getting up.

"Er.. I don't think he's listening." April said.

"Well thanks for stating the obvious." I said before running after him.

I chased Sandshrew down the long dirt road, almost losing track of him a few times because of the dust cloud he was leaving in his wake.

"Fine, if you won't come back I'll bring you back!" I yelled as I tried to recall him into his pokeball, but I couldn't get a clear shot as the red beam missed him time and time again.

"-huff puff- Argh, Where are you going Sandshrew?!"

**"****Shrewo!" **It cried back at me, almost in disgust, disappearing into a group of bushes.

I climbed through the bushes, getting scratched by the masses of green to end up in a dark, and eerie place. I could hear a continuous dripping echoing around me but I didn't need to hear that to know I was in a damp place... I could feel it. The terrain had become rocky and the only light I could see was the refracted sunlight through the bushes from behind me; I was in a hidden cave.

"Sandshrew… You in here?" I whispered as to hopefully not awaken any cave creatures. And then I suddenly heard movement coming from behind a corner and a flickering orange light appeared on the wall. It seemed almost… warm, and was drawing me in. I pushed myself against the cave wall and slowly peeked around the corner to see… nothing.

And then all of a sudden I felt something tugging at my trousers. I looked down to see a tiny red dragon with a flame on its head. "Ahh!" I cried. "What're you?!"

-

"It can't be too much further - Reach Mankey, reach!" _April cried while holding her ground._

_April was attempting to rescue Eevee from the hole it'd dug itself into by using Mankey as an extension of her own arm._

"Don't worry Eevee, you'll be out in no time!"  
"Key- key!" Mankey cried.

"You got it?" _April asked as Mankey nodded in response._ "Okay, here… we … go!" _April said again as she planted her feet in the ground and began pulling as hard as she could on Mankey's leg, but something was stuck, and no one was budging._ "Oh no you don't!" _She said as she pulled the Pokémon free and they flew through the air, all landing with their faces in the grass._

_April groaned as she pulled herself up._ "Is everyone oka – huh?" _She asked puzzled, wiping the mud off of her face. In front of her stood her Mankey, and a familiar yellow sand-mouse._ "Sandshrew? But if you're here… then who's Alex chasing?"

-

**'****TheRe iS no DatA.'**

"C'mon you stupid thing, work!" I said whilst hitting my pokedex.

The little fire dragon seemed to be clinging to me, frightened, but to be honest I had no idea what it was. It was red in colour and stood on its back legs and had a cream underbelly; it also had a long tail and flames emanating from its head. I wanted to pet it and tell it that it would be alright but I didn't want to burn myself on what seemed to be a withering flame.

**'****TheRe iS no DatA.'** It said again.

"Argh, you call yourself an encyclopaedia?!" I yelled in frustration, remembering when it had done the same thing previously.

The pokemon began shaking whilst clinging to my leg; its eyes shut tightly.

"Why are you so scared, little guy? Have you seen a Sandshrew around here?" I asked but the pokemon seemed to just cling to me tighter. "Are you lost?" I asked as I carefully knelt down, taking my rucksack off of my back. Here, it's not so bad, see?" I said taking some of the poffins out of my bag I'd been given yesterday.

**"****Charo?" **It said as it opened its eyes to see the pink pokemon food I held in my hand. "Go on, take it." I said smiling as it gobbled it all up. As it did, its flame from the top of its head brushed against me but it didn't burn, it just felt warm, and kind.

"Nice, huh?"

**"****Char, Char!"** It cried, seeming slightly happier.

Suddenly hearing the pokemon cry, the blue light illuminated on the pokedex and a bell sound rang.** 'ChaRMAndEr, thE lIZarD poKemOn. A fLAmE bUrns oN the Tip of itS tAIL fRom BirtH. it IS sIAd That a CHarmAnDEr dIeS If iTs flaMe ever Goes 0uT.' **Came a jagged, mechanical voice.

The drips coming from all around the cave suddenly seemed louder and more pronounced. Kind of… ominous even.

"Wait... you don't have a flame on your tail - you should be dead! …We should get you out of here, it's not safe for you." I said to Charmander. "Do you trust me?"

**"****Chaaro!"** It cried whilst nodding.

I smiled as I picked the little pokemon up and carried it in my arms, its head warm against my chest. The powerful refracted light from outside made us both squint as I clambered through the bushes, grazing my arms, but protecting Charmander from harm.

Arriving outside again was a great feeling, I hadn't been in there long, but I'd never been good with small spaces.

"Are you okay?" I asked, putting the Charmander down.

**"****Char! Charo!"** It cried, full of life.

"Oh, that's a relief… but it's strange that your flame is on your head, but then again my Eevee isn't exactly a 'normal pokemon'. I guess pokemon must vary as much as humans do." I chuckled. "I should be getting back to where I came from, and so should you. I have a friend who's missing and who we're very worried about and I'm sure someone is about you too. Well, it was nice meeting you, you are the second new friend I've made today. See ya!" I said as I turned around and ran back towards where we were sitting earlier, hoping Sandshrew had gone back.

-

As I neared the tree we were sitting under earlier, I heard a scream, "Ahhhh! Sandshrew no!"

"April?!" I cried out as I ran up the bank towards them.

Sandshrew was being tossed aside violently by a tall, brown Pokémon with a pair of gigantic, spiked, white horns as April and Mankey looked on, just feet away.

"Sandshrew!" I cried out.

"Stay away Pinsir!" April yelled angrily, but I could tell she was frightened by the tremor in her voice. "I'm warning you!" She said as the Pokemon took a step forward, bearing its fangs from its vertical mouth. "Okay I warned you – Mankey use fury swipes!"

Mankey ran up to the Pokémon, revealing its knifelike claws as they shimmered in the sunlight, and jumped into the air in front of Pinsir, slashing away with jet-like speed.

Pinsir seemed unaffected by this and saw its opportunity to grab Mankey by his right leg and swing him in a perfect circle in the air, gaining momentum and threw him ferociously into the ground below, knocking him out.

"Mankey!" We both cried in unison as I ran to fetch the injured pokemon.  
Pinsir roared out its name causing me to stop in my tracks in front of April.

"Alex, look at its eyes! It's been confused!"

Pinsir's eyes were an unnatural shade of blue, and it seemed to be blinded by a confused rage, getting rid of anything in its path, unfortunately – that was us.

Pinsir began walking towards us and we both backed away in response.

**"****Piiiin…**" It said as its mouth began to glow with an orange aura.

"Oh no.." I said as I had seen this attack before and turned around to cover April as we both shut our eyes, preparing for the worst.

**"****Piiiinsir!"** The pokemon cried with a husky voice as the attack was unleashed. A powerful breeze blew past us taking some dirt and a few fallen leaves with it but… there was no impact… no pain.

I opened my eyes as I turned around to see a small red pokemon laying on the floor – Charmander had taken the full force of the hyper beam!

"Charmander, no!" I cried as I looked on in horror.

Then the badly injured little pokemon began to move, it was slowly rising to its feet.

**"****Charr…o."** It cried, its voice quivering.

Suddenly, the pokemon was enveloped in a tremendous bright white light and began to grow and change into a different shape.

"It's… evolving!" April gasped.

"Evolving?!"

The pokemon grew taller and taller, and wider and ever wider, until a towering green reptilian pokemon appeared.

"Tyranitar?! B-but Charmander doesn't evolve into a Tyranitar… does it?" April cried in confusion.

Tyranitar looked down at the now heavy-breathing Pinsir that was now half its size and let out an almighty roar that seemed to shake the very ground we were standing on and probably could've been heard from miles away.  
Pinsir's eyes returned to a natural brown as it immediately snapped out of confusion and began to realise what pokemon was standing in front of it and ran back through the trees.

Tyranitar again roared but it seemed half-hearted as it began breathing heavily.

"T-T-Tyranitar?" I called out as it began to lie on the grass below. "I-it's me, remember?"

Tyranitar turned its head to face me. I could see in its eyes that it was in pain, but through the pain they seemed familiar…

"…Eevee?" I asked. "Is… that you?"

"Eevee?"

Tyranitar let out a whine as I reached out and touched its head, stroking it gently.

"It is you in there, isn't it?" I said with a smile as it rubbed its head against my body. "But... you're hurt, how am I going to get you to the Pokémon centre like this?" I said as panic began to set in.

Suddenly, Tyranitar was again engulfed in the brilliant white light and shrank to a fraction of its former size into a gooey, almost gel-like pink Pokémon.

**"****Dit…to"** the Pokémon said, struggling to speak.

"That's a Ditto!" April cried.

"A what?" I asked.

"There's no time to explain, we have to get to the pokemon centre fast! It's not far, c'mon!"


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7 – T-T-T-Telephone**_

As darkness drew in, I couldn't help but stare at the rain as it trickled down the glass of the Pokémon Center window. The fluffy towel I had wrapped around me had lost the warmth it had had when we arrived, but was heavier from all the rain it absorbed off of me. I didn't care that I was now the one getting wet from the towel, I needed something to make me feel safe, to make me feel like everything was going to be alright again.

April was preoccupied watching Mankey through a glass pane in the recovery room, but I couldn't bring myself to even look at my Pokémon. I'd never thought about how scary battling would be, and how Pokémon actually get hurt from us battling with them, it seemed almost… barbaric.

"You know, you two are the most frequent visitors I've had in a while." A familiar pink haired lady said as she walked into the room carrying a clipboard in her hand. It was Nurse Joy, but neither of us responded as she laughed, albeit slightly awkwardly, at her own joke.

"I can always tell who beginning trainers are – they're always the most scared worried about their Pokémon." She said as she placed her warm hand on my shoulder. "Some show it more than others…" She said as she looked over to April, "but you can always tell. Pokemon are powerful creatures that are used to battling; be it with a seasoned trainer or by itself in the wild. They always have a way to recover from battles, if they didn't then we wouldn't do it, would we?"

"So… are they going to be okay?" I asked as my eyes met hers.

"They just need to rest for a few hours and they'll be as good as new. So… no worrying, okay?" She said with a smile.

I nodded in response feeling less guilty for what'd happened.

"Can we go in to see them?" April asked.

"Yes, be my guest." Joy said as she walked out of the room continuing her rounds.

April and I both took the chance to walk into the recovery room and sat next to our Pokémon. Joy was right; they looked almost as good as new and seemed to be almost serene in their sleep. Ditto's small beady, black eyes began to open and as I reached over to pick it up. Ditto began to look around itself, not knowing where it was, and looking very confused.

"So, you were hiding around as an Eevee all along, huh?"

**"To.."**It cried as it looked downwards, looking quite sad with itself.

"Oh, no no don't feel bad!" I said, trying not to damage the Pokémon's feelings. "It just took me by surprise is all. After all, you did fool me, and you fooled the PokeDex, so I think that makes you a pretty amazing Pokémon to be honest."

Ditto seemed to cheer up as it snuggled up in my arms; it felt like I'd make my first real Poké- friend all over again.

"You just turn it on like this… position the camera like this… and then you dial the number like this…" April said as she taught me how to use the video phone in the Pokemon Center lobby.

Suddenly a picture appeared on the screen. It was a lab... an empty lab.

"Er… hello?" I asked.

"Hellooooo? Anyone there?" April continued.

"Wait, wait. What's that? Is someone there? Oh dear… I'll be right with youuu!" Came a voice as I heard as the sound of metal hitting the floor and glass smashing burst through the speaker. The screen became blue for a brief moment as something dived passed it and then it covered the bottom half of the screen completely. "Hello? H-h-hello? Professor Rowan, now really not a good time, I told you yesterday –"

"Ivy – sit down for once in your life pleaaaaaase." I pleaded as my sister took a step back and came into view on the screen.

She looked how she always had; a thigh-length lab coat that was undone as always (why she ever bothered wearing it was beyond me), a red strapless top and a short black skirt. Her dark blue shoulder-length hair, along with everything else about her had always apparently been seen as part of how beautiful she is (although personally I always thought she looked a mess). She would never sit still as her research always came first – even over sleep sometimes. She had always been a klutz too; she couldn't get from one side of the room to another without something breaking.

"Aleeex!" Ivy said smiling ear to ear. It'd been a long time since we'd seen each other's faces. "It's been a while, did you get my package?"

"Yeah I did, and look at how many friends I've made because of it!" I said as I turned the camera around to face April and all of our pokemon.

The pokemon all cried out their names in greeting, followed by a "Hi Professor!" And a very enthusiastic wave from April.

"April, is that you?" Ivy asked.

After a long catch up, Ivy explained that she was surprised how Ditto had grown fond of me so quickly, and that Ditto only reveal their real identities to trainers they trust. I told her how it all happened.

"Wow, that was quite an ordeal you've all been through; and I can tell now that you'll make a great pokemon trainer. And a Tyranitar – Wow I can't believe it transformed into something so big, so easily! Have you seen anything else like it? W-What else has it transformed into?!"

"…What's with her?" April whispered in my ear.

"She gets like this sometimes whenever something pops up that she's interested in. But she's at her worst when it's something to do with Pokemon physiology; that's her specialist field - she's the best around."  
"- Did it retain its original pigment, I mean, was it an exact replica?"

"Erm, Ivy?"

"Y-Yes?"

"You're doing it again."

"Oh, right. Sorry." She said as she nervously scratched her head. "But something you should know about Ditto's transform ability is that if it is transforming into a pokemon from memory, the pokemon will have some… differences. Like when it was an Eevee for example, it was missing the tinge on the tip of its tail and had retained Ditto's beady eyes and mouth."

"Oh, like when it was a Charmander and it had a flame on its head instead of its tail right?"

"Precisely. So, have you challenged the Gym yet?"

"Actually… I haven't even battled properly yet."

Ivy just looked at the camera with a blank expression. "Well.. I suppose it's never too late to start. Why don't you two battle? April you have Mankey now don't you? It'd be a good way of training for the Gym."

"That's… not a bad idea. What do you say April?"

"Well it's up to Mankey really." She said looking over to the pokemon.

**"Key- key!"**

"Well I think that's a yes!"


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8 – Training Daze**_

After a night of rest for all of us, April and I decided upon battling at the battle court opposite the gym. The rocky terrain would help prepare me for the battle, and being in the presence of the gym would help settle my nerves.

When we got there I could see that some of the lines had faded and there were holes all over the court from overuse. The court stood on what seemed to be a giant piece of slate that was moulded to the ground. It seemed it'd been here a while and nature had accepted it as its own as grass and various weeds trailed along it.

"Wow." I said in awe of the sheer power needed to put holes and cracks into stone.

"Well… Shall we get this thing started? Oh wait we need a referee..." April remembered.

April put her hand up above her eyes to shield from the sunlight that had pillared through the canopy of branches above us and began to look around.

"Hmm.. lets see…" She said pivoting on the spot. "Trees; no. Bushes; no. A winding path that leads into the distance; no. The gym... - Aha!"

"Aha?"

"Yeah, we can get someone from the gym to referee for us – they must always have one incase someone challenges them, right?"

"Yeaah I suppose, but do we really need –" Before I could finish April was already at the gym door going inside.

"Well… I guess we do." I said as I let out a sigh.

As I waited for her to come back I noticed how strangely dark it was. It was turning into a bright sunny day but all the greenery around the arena obscured it. As the trees blew in the wind, I could see the beautiful crisp, green leaves swaying from side to side, but the branches themselves didn't even budge. Suddenly my imagination got carried away with me as the humungous branches above me became sharp wooden claws that reached out to grab me, edging closer and closer towards my face.

It was only the sound of the stone gym door opening again that snapped me out of it as April exited the building holding someone's arm. As she came closer I could see that she wasn't as much holding someone as dragging them.

"We're only over here, see?" She said to her prisoner who was fairly shorter than her. "Okay I found us a ref!" April said as she smiled at her achievement.

I looked down to see someone who was a few years younger than both of us, with short spiky brown hair wearing a light green shirt with a dark green stripe running horizontally across it. He looked quite confused at what was happening to him.

"H-hi." He said. "I told your friend that I'm not really a proper referee but she wouldn't listen. I've been in a few battles though, so I can give it a good shot."

"Oh thanks, are you sure?" I said smiling at him.

"Well I'm out here now so I may as well!" The little referee said, almost excited to be part of the battle.

"Yaaaaaaay! Great, so Alex which side do you wanna take?" April asked.

"Huh?" I asked not knowing what she was on about.

"Oh, right. At the start of a battle, each trainer picks a side to stand on, and a coin is flipped to decide who goes first. If you're standing to the left of the referee, you are heads; to the right, and you're tails. Understand?" April explained, being patient with me as always.

"Oh right, well I knew that, it just… slipped my mind. I'll take the right." I said, trying not to seem too much of a noob in front of the boy who was younger than me.

"Suuure." April mocked as we all made our way to our positions.

"Oh wait, does anyone have a coin?" The little referee asked. "I didn't get a chance to grab one before I was dragged out against my will…"

"Hmph!" April cried while looking away from him.

"Oh, I've got an app for that on my poketch!" I said, eager to show off my snazzy watch I got for my birthday last year.

"That'll work!" The boy cried as he ran over to me and looked at the screen.

I pressed the screen and a simulated coin spun on its side. I watched as the coin changed from a magikarp to a pokeball, back and forth many times until it finally lay with a single side facing upwards; a magikarp.

"April to begin!" The boy cried as he returned to his position. "This will be a one on two battle, the person who's Pokemon is first unable to battle will be able to use Sandshrew."

"Ooookay!" April cried as she enlarged her pokeball. "Mankey, come on out!" The pokeball rose high into the air and in a flash of brilliant light, Mankey appeared on the battlefield, bouncing from one foot to the other.

"Alright then, I choose you – Ditto!" I said as the pink gelatinous Pokémon appeared opposite Mankey.

'Wow… cool catchphrase – I should use that.' I thought.

"Readyyyyy – Begin!" The little ref cried.

"Okay Mankey, Karate Chop - let's go!" April cried out.  
"Ditto Transform into a Dragonite!" I said, thinking this would ensure that I would come out the victor.

The pokemon turned around to me looking confused as Mankey approached from behind and cut through the very air with its arm and thrust it against Ditto sending him flying to my feet.

Ditto began crying out in pain as April called her pokemon back to the other side of the arena.

"Don't you remember? Ditto can't transform into a pokemon if it hasn't seen one before! Try using what's in front of you!" April yelled across the battlefield.

I nodded and looked down at Ditto as it rose back up.

"Fury Swipes Mankey!"  
"Ditto, transform into Mankey!"

Mankey began running towards Ditto as it glowed a tremendous white and grew two arms and two legs along with a tail almost instantly – It was identical to Mankey! Right down to which way its fur was facing. It began admiring its new form but Mankey had other plans as he started clawing at it vigourously without hesitation.

"Ditto - no!" I cried out before looking down at my PokeDex for answers. "Low kick him!"

Through the ongoing pain Ditto swiftly darted it's leg across Mankey's, leaving gravity to do the rest.

"Great job! Now scratch him while he's down!"  
"-Dodge it Mankey!"

Ditto began bearing sharp claws as it swiped downwards cutting off a few strands of fur as Mankey rolled back just in time to avoid the impact.

"Karate chop followed by low kick!" Cried April.  
"-Do the same!"

Mankey again thrust its forearm towards Ditto as it did the same thing. The two arms met in midair As Mankey swiped it's foot under Ditto. Ditto backflipped over it and swung its leg under Mankey's once it had landed.

Mankey did the same thing as Ditto and backflipped.

"Wow Ditto's quite the mover – but he'll give in soon enough! Keep Karate chopping him Mankey!"

Mankey acted out the trainer's orders as Ditto blocked the attacks with its own arms. Ditto took one swift strike after another until I had an idea.

"Ditto use Leer!"

Ditto began staring into Mankey's eyes with a fierce look in its eye and Mankey stopped handing out Karate Chops and took a few steps back, intimidated by the pokemon that looked just like it.

"Now's your chance – fury swipes!" I cried.

Ditto again began bearing its claws and jumped forward onto Mankey, pushing him to the floor, slashing at it time and again without fail. Mankey cried out in pain as the claws cut into him.

"Mankey get him off of you!" April cried as mankey used its feet to kick Ditto into the air.

"This might be my first battle, but I've seen before what this Pokemon can do! Focus energy now!" She cried as Ditto landed on its feet near mine.

Mankey began tensing itself as small yellow orbs began flowing in and out of him as he stood on the spot.

"Okay Ditto, we can win this! Low kick him then Karate chop while he's down!"

Ditto began running at the stationary Mankey as April muttered two words: "Seismic. Toss."

As Ditto swung its furry leg around to meet Mankey's, Mankey grabbed it as quick as a flash, and swung it in a circle in the air gaining momentum and with all its might threw Ditto into the slate floor, creating another hole to be awed at by another trainer.

A dust cloud shrouded where the two pokemon were standing and I waited anxiously for what seemed like hours before it cleared.

The little ref's arm rose to the air pointing to April.

"Ditto is unable to battle, Mankey is the winner!"

"Yaaay!" April cried as she jumped up and down on the spot clapping her hands.

"Ditto no…" Was all I could manage as I pointed the pokeball towards my knocked out pokemon and it withdrew into it. "You did great," I said stroking the pokeball. "Get a good rest."

**"****Key-key!"** I heard as I looked over to see April laughing and cuddling Mankey.

"Well Alex, I guess this means your next pokemon is Sandshrew." The little ref said to me, handing me a pokeball.

"Thanks." I said as I stared at the pokeball. "And I think… I know how to win."

"Alright Sandshrew, get ready for battle!" I cried as I released the tough–skinned yellow Pokémon from its red and white home.

Mankey was already back in position ready to battle, standing opposite from Sandshrew.

"Aaaaaaaand Begin!" The little ref shouted out.

"—Fury Swipes!" April commanded, not wasting any time.  
"Use Sand- Attack and Dodge!" I commanded in response.

Sandshrew quickly edged to the side of the arena and used the dirt to create a cloud of dust that blocked Mankey's vision. Despite not being able to see, Mankey began clawing away at the air in front of it.

"Great job! Okay Sandshrew, let's try a poison sting while he's blinded!"

Sandshrew took this opportunity not to attack back, but to roll around behind him and tap him on the shoulder. As Mankey clawed back in retaliation, Sandshrew jumped out of the way as if toying with him. Seeming very amused by the whole thing, Sandshrew again moved back and began to rock itself back and forwards on its back while holding its back paws with the front.

"Sandshrew, what're you doing?" I asked. "This is battle time, not playtime! Poison Sting attack!"

April sniggered as Mankey regained his sight.

"Scratch him Mankey!"

Mankey did exactly what he was told as he turned around and clawed Sandshrew right on his soft-skinned stomach. Sandshrew cried out in pain, falling to the ground from its rocking state.

"Sandshrew!" I cried out as the little pokemon hastily returned to its feet and ran towards me, clinging to my leg. A sudden realisation struck me; _'what if Sandshrew is just a young pokemon? Was it right of me to send him into battle if he just wanted to play?'_

"Alex, does this mean you forfeit the match?" The little referee asked.

"Gimme a sec…" I said, contemplating what to do next.

I knelt down, taking my rucksack off and removing a small phial of light blue liquid with a spray top.

"It's okay," I said stroking his head. "I can make it all better."

I sprayed the claw marks on Sandshrew's belly, and within moments they simply faded away. I was amazed, and I could tell it had worked as the young Pokémon loosened his grip on my leg.

**"****Shrew- Sandshrew!"** He cried out as he looked up at me.

"You don't have to battle if you don't want to." I said in a soft voice.

Sandshrew looked to the floor as if contemplating the idea before looking back up at me and calling out his name. I could see a glint of determination in his eye I hadn't seen before as he turned on his feet and retook his place on the battlefield.

"O-kay! We're ready to go!"

"Okay, resume!"

"Mankey, Karate Chop followed by scratch attack!"  
"-Get out the way!" I shouted out, not being able to think how to counter the move as Mankey began his charge.

Sandshrew looked to its left and right, looking for a way to get out of the way and jumped to a hole in the slate and began digging as fast as it could.

Mankey arrived at the hole and looked baffled as to where the pokemon had disappeared to. He took a few steps back, jumping and facing the other way while doing it, just incase he decided to sneak up on him. I began to get nervous – I was the trainer and I didn't even know where Sandshrew was.

Suddenly from behind Mankey, Sandshrew leapt into the air from beneath some rubble and let loose a barrage of enchanting, shining stars, hitting Mankey one after another. As the stars smashed into Mankey, they seemed to evaporate into the air in a rainbow of clear, crisp colours.

Mankey fell to the floor, feeling the cold slate against his body.

"Yeaaaah! Well done Sandshrew!" I cried out joyfully.

"…What move was that?!" April asked, baffled.

"I dunno." I said as I got my ever-handy PokeDex out and pointed it at the scene.

**'****Swift. A normal type move in which stars of energy are hurled at the opponent; a common move taught by a move tutor.'**

"Mankey is –" The little ref began.

April sighed as she reached for her pokeball; ready to withdraw Mankey. However, Mankey had risen to his feet, battered and bruised from the last attack and began to stare at an out of breath Sandshrew with a demonic look in his eyes.

"…Mankey?" April asked with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

**"****KEEEEY!" **Mankey cried out in a gruff, angered tone as he began charging at Sandshrew.

"S-Sandshrew run!" I cried out, sensing something wasn't right.

The little pokemon began running away on all fours but Mankey was gaining on him, fast.

Suddenly a memory came flying back to me of Ditto running from me as I called out; "Curl into ball – you'll get more speed that way!"

Sandshrew responded by tucking his head between his legs and sure enough began moving at a breakneck pace around the arena, Mankey still closely following in an angry rage.

"W-what's wrong with him? I've never seen him act this way before!" April shouted across the arena.

Suddenly I heard a small chime and I looked down to see the PokeDex screen lit up.

**'****Although Mankey is usually calm, it does have a bad temper. Once Mankey begins to Thrash, stopping it is impossible.'**

"Impossible?! – Well he can't hurt anyone if he's in his pokeball – return Mankey!" April cried out as she pointed her pokeball at the Pokémon, it shooting a red light. She tried this two or three times before she actually hit him, but even then the red light began to engulf him but turned a dark shade of blue and ricocheted off of him.

"Noo, why isn't it working!?" April cried, hitting her pokeball.

"Alex, you're going to have to stop it!" The young referee called out from across the arena. "Attack him with your pokemon!"

"But how? All of my pokemon are either knocked out or being chased!"

"-There must be a way!"The little ref cried out with some certainty.

I looked over at the two pokemon circling the arena, an angry monkey chasing a ball. And then an idea struck me.

"Sandshrew, I need you to turn back on yourself and ram all of your weight into Mankey!"

Sandshrew suddenly, without question, skidded to a stop and sped back on itself, ramming its full weight into Mankey pushing it back across the cold, slate surface.

"Rollout…" The young boy whispered under his breath as he smiled.

Mankey lay lifeless on the ground as April ran over to it. Sandshrew uncurled itself from the ball and fell backwards from exhaustion.

**"****Saaandshreew.."** he sighed, spreading himself out on the ground.

"Haha, you were amazing Sandshrew." I said as I squeezed him in my arms, feeling immsensly proud of my pokemon and myself after our first battle.

"Mankey is unable to battle! - Sandshrew is the winner!"

"Yeah, yeah.." April said grouchily, withdrawing her pokemon.

"You hear that? We won." I said smiling ear to ear. "Now have a good rest, you deserve it."

As Sandshrew disappeared into the warm, red light, I saw April's pink and white hat and a flurry of brown hair appear at my side.

"Great match." She said holding out her hand to me.

"Right back at cha." I said as we shook.

"Hey, thanks for refereeing our match by the way." I said as I turned to the teenage boy in next to me.

"Hey, no problem!" He replied as he gave me a thumbs up.

"Anything we can do for you?"

"Well actually… you can give me a battle."

"Uhh…" I mumbled, not expecting him to ask that.

"Huh? You're a trainer?" April butted in, saying what I was thinking.

"Yep, and you're just the person I want to battle against, Alex!"

"Wow, really?" I asked as I began to like the boy more. "So what's your name?"

"Forrest." He said with a smile.

"Where do I know that name from…?" April began to ponder.

"Ah, nice to meet you Forrest." I said shaking his hand. "So, when and where do you want to do this?"

"How about tomorrow morning so your pokemon can rest up, and then the place will be inside the gym – I want to fight you at your best!"

"Huh?"  
"Huh? Inside the Gym?"

"That's right, as Pewter City Gym Leader, I officially challenge you to a battle Alex!"

"What?! Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?!"


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9 – A Forrest Full Of Trouble**_

"I can't believe you _dragged_ a _Gym Leader_ out of his _own Gym_!" I said as April and I burst out in laughter, strolling through the streets of Pewter City.

As dusk arrived, the city began to show a certain noble beauty it didn't appear to have during the daylight hours; the cold, unwelcoming stone-grey of the buildings changed to a warm and comforting shade of amber. It seemed to be a magical time of day; the Pidgeys were making their final returns to the comfort of their nests for the day as the Hoothoots began to stir from theirs. It was strange, I suddenly felt so at home in this urban jungle, and yet, it was so different from the country life I was leading not too long ago.

Suddenly a voice began to echo through the city, projected through a network of microphones that seemed to be attached to all of the major buildings.

"Attention citizens of Pewter City. The Ceridian Curfew will be coming into effect shortly, please return to your houses and places of residence. This is for your own safety, the police force and I thank you for your cooperation. I repeat –"

"I didn't know there was a curfew… why do you think they put it in place?" April asked me.

I had completely forgotten about the curfew Jenny had informed me about. I felt more scared than I did before, knowing that who or whatever it was that was causing this curfew preyed on Pokémon trainers; and that I was now one of them.

"I know, but we should get back to the Pokémon centre first; it's not safe for us here." I said as I lead the way back.

After explaining the situation to April in our room, the thought of it and everything else completely left my mind, except for one thing; my gym battle.

_'__Am I really ready for this?' _I thought. I wanted to train outside, after all we hadn't had much practice, but they were resting from today's battle with April. They'd need all their strength for a Gym battle, or would they?

_'__Forrest is much younger than me, would he really be that tough?' _I thought again. _'He will be if I'm not ready, and I'm older than him but have less experience with Pokémon, does age really matter? What about types? Can I win with the Pokémon I have?'_Too many thoughts rushed through my head, I needed to calm down.

Despite all my serious thinking I was still swinging my legs off of the edge of my creaky bed. I turned to April on the other side of the room. She was laying across her bed, with her head in her hands staring out of the window. The refracted moonlight was illuminating her face and her flowing brown hair, it was even shining in her eyes but she didn't seem to care. She seemed like she was in another world, or staring deep into a distant memory; I almost felt bad breaking her from it to ask her a question.

"April?"

"Huunh?" She mumbled as she turned to face me, her eyes glistening as she readjusted to the real world.

"Gym leaders specialize in a specific type of Pokemon don't they? Does Forrest use Rock-types?"

"Well that's the thing, I don't know. When Adam fought at the Gym, a man named Flint was the gym leader, and he was a rock-type trainer. But I do remember hearing that there was some kind of squabble after we left about who should be the rightful gym leader, and a new one was appointed. I just didn't realise it would be someone like him."

"Well that's useful… I have a gym battle tomorrow and no way of preparing a strategy." I said as I lay backwards, my head hitting the pillow.

"But it bugs me because I've defiantly heard Forrest's name before…" April said as she turned over doing the same thing I did.

"No 'Don't worry about it, you'll do great!' or 'Noone's a match for Ditto and Sandshrew!' then? Just the mystery of a name…" I said fishing for support.

April looked up at me smiling, "You know you'll do well anyway."

I glanced over to her and raised my eyebrows with a smile on my face.

April sighed and rolled her eyes before saying, "Don't worry about it, you'll do great! Noone's a match for Ditto and Sandshrew!"

"Well that sounded enthusiastic…"

It was here. The inescapable feeling; the pit in my stomach –judgement day.

The Gym doors stood in front of us, daunting as ever; everything seemed silent as April nudged me to open them. As I did the sunlight that shone through the rustling trees seemed to completely illuminate the inside, purifying the darkness.

I wondered if anybody could work in such a dark place, but it was nearly noon so people must've been at work by now.

"Where do you think Forrest is?" I asked, looking around the arena.

"Erm.. Over there!" April said as she pointed to two figures sitting in the stands.

Walking inside, every step could be heard vividly as its echo ricocheted throughout the large room. Every single thing could see seemed to be etched from stone; the floors, walls, ceilings and even the stands. The attention to detail that must've been paid was amazing.

As we reached the other side of the room we could see that Forrest was talking to an older man who looked remarkably similar, the same spiky brown hair, jaw line and distinctive eyes.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming!" Forrest said as he looked up.

"No problem, you ready for our battle?" I asked.

"Yeah sure, just gimme a sec to get ready. Dad, have you got my pokemon from upstairs?" He asked as he turned to the man next to him.

"Yep, just pick which ones you want to use." The man said as he held his hand out with four minimized pokeballs in.

"You have… two pokemon right Alex? So is a two on two battle okay with you?"

"Yeah su –"  
"- Wait a minute… you're Flint aren't you!" April deduced.

"Why yes I am. Have we… met before?" Flint asked.

"Yeah my brother battled you not too long ago, his name was Adam."

"Ah yes, a remarkable trainer. He will do well taking on the Gym Challenge."

"Wait, If you're his father then –Aha! I knew I'd seen him before. Forrest was sitting in on Adam's battle with you."

"Yes, Forrest was always keen to learn new things about pokemon and battling, whenever I had a new challenger, he'd always be eager to watch just incase trainers would use any new pokemon he'd never seen before. His love of pokemon was what made him the best candidate to be the Gym Leader." Flint explained as he tussled Forrest's hair.

"Well the truth is, the Gym hasn't been having much business lately which is why I've been challenging trainers instead of them challenging me. But every time I do they always seem to lose. But you Alex, I think you'll give me a run for my money."

"Well I don't know about that…" I said as I ran my hand through my hair as I went slightly red.

"Sure you do, it'll be a match to remember." April said whilst smiling at me.

Suddenly I felt full of adrenaline; I was pumped for the battle.

"So, shall we get this show on the road? I'll be refereeing this match so everyone, positions please!" Flint said as he rose to his feet.

I quickly claimed the right-hand side of the arena while April took her place in the stands, eager to find the perfect viewing spot for the match.

"Now, this will be a two-on-two battle, with no substitutions." Flint declared as he flipped a coin into the air.

I personally couldn't see the benefit in starting first, I'd much prefer to see what pokemon my opponent sends out before I decide on mine. Flint caught the coin smoothly in midair and somehow made it look cool while declaring; "It's tails! – Alex to start!"

"…Crud." I whispered under my breath.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaand begin!"

'Why didn't I ask him what type of pokemon he uses?!' I thought in my head as I tried to figure out logically which Pokémon I should send into the fray.

"Well, here goes nothing! Come ooon out!" I cried as a gelatinous pink Pokémon appeared on the stone floor. Ditto seemed the most logical choice – Ditto could mimic whatever came its way and could find a way of exploiting the Pokémon's own weaknesses.

"Well in that case…" Forrest contemplated. "I choose Geodude!"

Forrest's pokeball seemed to leap from his hand into the arena to release a small Pokémon, similar to a rock with arms.

"Duuuuuuude!" The Geodude cried.

"Okay, Ditto, transform into Geodude!"  
"-Geodude, Rock throw!" Forrest cried out.

Ditto was enveloped in a bright white light as its shape began to drastically change into the spitting image of Geodude. Meanwhile Geodude hopped over to one of the many boulders littered around the arena and picked it up almost effortlessly.

Looking down at my PokeDex I could see that I didn't have too many options for offensive moves – Geodude was clearly a defensive Pokémon. Ditto wouldn't survive the weight of a boulder being thrown on it, I had to act quickly.

"Ditto use magnitude!"

**"****Dude-o!" **It cried in response while beginning to tense itself.  
"Geodude throw it now!" Forrest commanded knowing what was about to happen, but it was too late.

The ground under us began to shake violently as Geodude lost its balance and fell face-first to the floor, dropping the boulder in front of it, it smashing into many smaller pieces with a thunderous roar.

"Yeaaaaaaaaaah! Go Alex! You're doing great!" I heard April cheer from the stands. I turned to see her cheering me on with Mankey sitting on her lap.  
"—Tackle!" Forrest yelled as I turned around to see Geodude hurling himself into Ditto.

Ditto skidded across the adamantine surface and subsequently appeared to slightly struggle as it raised itself back upright. The tackle had hit hard.

"You always need to keep focused on the battle at hand; otherwise you may give your opponent an advantage." Forrest said with an underhanded grin.

I clenched my fist, annoyed that I'd gotten Ditto hurt so recklessly. I needed to start thinking more tactically.

"Rock Polish Ditto!" I commanded after consulting my PokeDex.  
"-Tackle him again Geodude!"

Ditto briefly flashed a ceramic silver colour. "Yes, that's great! – Now dodge him!"

Geodude again thrusted its full weight at Ditto, but Ditto hopped to the side quicker than I'd ever seen it move before and Geodude crashed to the floor.  
I let out a brief cry of joy before Forrest called out another order; "Mega punch!"  
"-Catch his fist Ditto!"

Geodude's fist became engulfed in an amber glow as his arm stretched out towards Ditto. Ditto's speed had increased dramatically but if the timing was wrong the whole thing wouldn't work.

"Grab it now and spin him!" I yelled as Ditto grabbed Geodude's fist and used the force of the attack to spin him around as Geodude was raised further and further from the ground. "Now throw him Ditto!" Ditto did exactly as I asked and simply released Geodude at the right time near a boulder and let momentum do the rest.

"No, Geodude!" Forrest cried.

Geodude was hurled into a boulder as debris filled the arena, but didn't quite seem ready to give up just yet.

"Okay then, let's finish this with a Rock Blast!"

**"****Dude-o!" **Ditto cried as it hopped over to a pile of debris from the boulder that Geodude dropped earlier and began launching barrages of rock upon rock at Geodude until there was nothing left to throw.

The onslaught had created a dust cloud that slowly began to clear as everyone in the arena leaned slightly forward, eager to see the result.

Flint's right arm was raised as the dust settled; "Geodude is unable to battle – the round goes to Alex the challenger!"

"Wooooooo Alex!"  
"Yeeeeah!" April I cried out in Unison.

Ditto cried out its name joyfully as it jumped into my arms, reverting to its gelatinous form.

"Ditto you were amazing out there!" I said as I hugged it and withdrew it to its pokeball with April's chorus still ringing in the background.

"Wow, well done Alex that was impressive but the battle's not over yet!" Forrest said as he withdrew his fainted pokemon into its capsule home.

"Round two! Would trainers please choose their pokemon!"

"You know what my other pokemon is; Go get 'em Sandshrew!" I said as I released the little sand-mouse onto the battlefield.

"Next up for me is Crobat!" Forrest declared as he threw a rather aged pokeball into the air.

"Round two – Begin!"

**'****Crobat, the bat pokemon and the evolved form of Golbat. With its two additional wings, Crobat is able to fly much faster than Golbat; however this limits Crobat's ability to rest. Like its previous evolutions Crobat uses echo location to find its foe.'**The PokeDex dictated to me.

Suddenly my head was filled with hundreds of possible battle tactics; one after another they hit me, like I was being smothered in an avalanche of ideas.

"I hope you're ready for this Alex! Crobat- Wing attack!" Forrest bellowed across the battlefield with sneaky glint in his eye, as if he had an ace up his sleeve.

But before I could even tell Sandshrew to dodge, Crobat had knocked him to the floor with one of its powerful wings, disorienting not only the pokemon, but myself as well. The Pokedex wasn't lying, Crobat's speed was nothing to be scoffed at - It appeared as no more than a blur in the corner of my eye as it sharply turned back towards its trainer.

"Sandshrew, you okay?" I called out to the little Pokémon as he reassuringly sprung to his feet. "Good, okay Poi-"  
"—Astonish!" Forrest cried out as Crobat cried out an eerie noise that sounded as if someone was screaming while scraping their nails slowly down a blackboard – it shook me to my bones.

Sandshrew seemed frozen in his tracks with a look of terror in his eyes. As I took my hands away from my ears I could hear Forrest yell out an order for yet another move; "Air cutter!"  
"Sandshrew, Defence Curl!"

Sandshrew remained motionless with a blank look upon his face.

"Defence Curl!" I cried again but to no avail as Crobat unleashed a barrage of shining scythe-like shapes as it cut through the very air above him. It reminded me of a plane bombing a city below, it was brutal, but the timing was just right.

Sandshrew was cut again and again as he was impacted by the scythes. One after another they came, battering him and the battlefield around him – I couldn't stand to watch, why wouldn't he listen to me and protect himself?

After I could no longer hear the pounding of air cutter against the rock covered floor, I brought myself to face the arena once again. Sandshrew was on the floor in a heap, but still with life in him as he tried to raise himself up again; his arms trembling as he did so.

"Sandshrew you don't have to fight anymore!" I cried out, not wanting to see the Pokémon suffer through another onslaught. "Just lay still and the battle will be over."

Sandshrew fell to the floor as Flint looked on, trying to figure out whether to call it or not. Sandshrew again began to raise itself upright, calling his name with a deep sense of determination until he stood proudly, if not a little shakily, ready to take on Crobat again.

"I'm impressed with your little Sandshrew Alex. Even after suffering through Astonish and flinching right into an Air Cutter attack, he's still standing. He cares for you a great deal to withstand all of that and get back up again."

Although Forrest's words made me feel as though Sandshrew and I had really bonded, I couldn't stop thinking about my next move and how we could get around Crobat's speed. And then I noticed that Sandshrew was standing around many pieces of rubble from a rock that was smashed earlier in the battle and a single idea flowed through my head – it had to work.

"This bond and love that trainer and Pokémon share is, in essence, what a good team is made up of. Some Pokémon can even evolve from this bond, like Crobat fo-"  
"-Sandshrew use Rapid Spin on the spot!" I cried out, eager to set my plan into motion.

Sandshrew twisted itself around and then propelled itself in the opposite direction, spinning so fast, I couldn't make out his actual body shape. The rocks directly below him were propelled in many different directions at tremendous speeds, ricocheting off of walls, the ceiling and the floor causing the clashing of rock against rock to echo throughout the arena. Everyone began to cover their faces in protection of not being able to tell exactly where these pieces of rock were.

Crobat began to squint his eyes in pain as the noise overwhelmed his sensitive hearing as he flew erratically in the air.

"That's great Sandshrew, keep it up!" I cried as we finally had the upper hand.

Forrest stood opposite, seemingly lost for words and not quite knowing what to do.

Crobat looked as if he couldn't take any more as his erratic flying eventually had him crashing to the floor.

I couldn't help but smile as I let out my next command; "Okay Sandshrew, now's our chance – Use Rollout on Crobat!"

Sandshrew thrust a claw slightly into the rock and stylishly skidded to a stop before curling into a ball that showed just the yellow hide of the Pokémon and propelling himself towards Crobat.

"Crobat, no! Fly away – fly away!" Forrest yelled trying to get through to his Pokémon, but it was no use; Crobat had landed on its hind wings and couldn't lift itself off of the rocky ground below.

Sandshrew had picked up enormous speed and rolled straight into Crobat's face – both Pokémon were instantly thrown in opposite directions; One bounced away unharmed, the other felt the cold brunt of the stone gym in which it resided.

"You always need to keep focused on the battle at hand; otherwise you may give your opponent an advantage." I said as I caught Forrest's eye and winked at him.

Three sets of eyes all gave Flint their full attention as he raised a cerulean blue flag and declared; "Crobat is unable to battle, victory goes to Alex the challenger and Sandshrew from Cerulean City!"

I couldn't believe it, was this really true?  
"…We won." I muttered under my breath. "Sandshrew we did it!" I yelled at the top of my voice as I grabbed my pokemon and threw him in the air before catching him again. He was happily chuckling and was as pleased as I was.

"I couldn't have done it without you, you know…" I said as I tickled his belly in my arms.

I suddenly was almost knocked over and deafened simultaneously as April decided to grab me and started to swing me in a strange kind of dance whilst letting out a high pitched squeal of glee - I figured it was an Orange Isles thing.

After our celebratory dance was over Forrest and Flint approached us holding a very official looking wooden box. It was varnished to give it a sleek sheen and had an open copper latch.

"Alex that was, without a doubt, the best match I've had in a long time. I can honestly say that no one deserves this more than you. I'm proud to present to you the first Boulder Badge I have ever given out." Forrest said as he pulled open the lid of the box to reveal a polished, brand new octagonal badge that looked somewhat like a valuable gem nestled in a bed of grey silk.

I stared intently at it, its brilliance enchanting me until April nudged me with her elbow whispering; "Well go on, take it" in my ear.

I picked it up in my hands as gently as I could as to not damage it – I didn't even want a mark on my new badge.

I looked up again to see Flint proudly put his hand on Forrest's shoulder as I looked over to April.

"You just want to scream don't you?"

"Yes… yes I do."

"Go for it." She said uttering a little chuckle.

"YEEEEESS! - I GOT A BOULDER BADGE!"


	11. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10 – The Sun and the Moon and the Starlit Sky**_

**(A)**

Growly landed back on the waving grass the same way she had left it; without a scratch on her, while Weepinbell seemed to shrivel from the barrage of fiery attacks he had endured.

"Weepinbell is unable to battle! – The match goes to Growlithe and Adam the challenger from Valencia Island!" The announcer declared.

"Yeaaaah! I got a Rainbow Badge!" I said, holding my badge high in the air with pride, its eight colours shining its namesake across my face as I did so.

"Well done Adam, you've really become one with your Pokémon, that's such a good thing to see." Erika said as she wiped Weepinbell's wounds with a herbal remedy on a cloth. Weepinbell's head was rested upon Erika's floral kimono; it was the exact same shade of green as the thriving grass she and her Pokémon were sitting on. As she smiled at me, her face caught the sunlight that shone through the glass roof, she had a genuine kindness and beauty that you could tell was much more than skin-deep, I'd never told her that before.

"Thank you." I said with a smile, "That stuff's really working on Weepinbell, what is it?" I asked as Growly circled my feet, eager to play.

"Oh, this?" She said looking down at her pokemon, his wounds almost fully gone. "It's just a herbal remedy we make here at the gym, we use berries, perfumes and various plants – it's really easy to make, and it could very much save someone one day, you should remember it.

**"…****Bell?" **Weepinbell cried as he opened his eyes to be greeted by Erika's warm smile.

Weepinbell suddenly jumped to life and began bouncing across the grass calling its name, chasing a nearby Oddish as Erika began to chuckle with glee.

"So how many badges do you have now Adam?" She asked me.

"I'm halfway towards getting us to the Pokémon league - Just four more to go!" I said as I sat down beside her.

"Ah, good for you! But don't get too confident now." She said as she started to stroke behind Growly's ear, making her leg twitch. "You never know how tough your next opponent is going to be.

"Yeah I know, but one day no one will be a match for my Pokémon - right Growly?" I said as I looked over to her, too content with being stroked to respond.

"Well… clearly that day isn't today."

There was a strange silence in the air before I finally said, "So I love what you've done with the gym. It looks better than ever."

Looking around the giant greenhouse I could see dozens of families enjoying picnics, children running around and playing and Pokémon enjoying the fruits of nature all on top of a gorgeous field of grass that was decorated with flower arrangements, berry trees, and hedges cut into the shape of various grass Pokémon. Centre to all of this though was a two tier fountain that carried the clearest, freshest water I'd ever seen to various channels that led to surrounding flower beds of different colours that, if seen from above, would be almost identical to a rainbow badge.

"Thank you so much and doesn't it? After the fire the townspeople and everyone at the gym dedicated themselves to build a better, safer gym that could be a haven to people and Pokémon all year round. And thanks to them, we finally have it. ...So what about you, have you found somewhere like that yet, for April and yourself? Speaking of which, where is April, I thought you two had decided to travel together?"

"I've been searching, but I'm looking for something else. April's… taking her own path with a new friend she met. I think it's her way of dealing with things… or maybe she's just finally moved on with her life. To be honest, I thought it'd changed her, but now we're apart I think it was me that changed."

"You do seem… quieter than you used to be." She said as she looked up at me, into my eyes which made me both smile and blush. "But I know that deep down you're still the same person inside."

Erika could always cheer me up and make me smile. She was the person I could tell all of my troubles to without worrying that I'd be judged or rejected. We'd always felt at home together, even though whenever we were together, one of us was on foreign soil.

As I looked into Erika's eyes I could feel time passing by around us; we could often just sit together and not say a word, and then both feel like we'd had the most deep and meaningful conversation ever.

"You know…" She said as she clasped my hand, "whenever I feel troubled, I always find it helps to just lie on the grass and watch the clouds pass by."  
I said that I'd give it a shot as we both lay back, the grass brushing against our cheeks as the clear blue sky came into view, dotted with puffs of white.

"Ah, you're right; this is relaxing." I said as I stared up at the clouds in the sky, trying to find familiar shapes in each one. Despite being in near-enough the centre of the city, not a single urban noise could be heard; birds chirping, the laughter of children, everything I needed was here.

As we both gazed into the never-ending sky and were bathed in the warm glow of the sun, I edged my hand closer to Erika's until before I knew it, I was holding it – and she was holding mine too!

And then it hit me, I think I had found my haven – everything I needed was here.. except for April and the fact that –

"- Erika, Erika!" a group of young children cried as they ran over to us, interrupting my train of thought.

"What is it?" She replied as she sat up.

"Come and play with us pleeaaase?" a rather scruffy-haired girl asked.

"Ohhh, well if you insist!" She said playing along with them. "But you're not playing very well if I can see you now, are you? One… two… three.." She said as the children ran away to hide in a fit of giggles.

"Well I've got some very important children-catching to do as you can see." She smiled as she rose to her feet, brushing her kimono down.

"And I've got some very important badge-collecting to do – but I'll be back, just you see!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Erika said as she kissed my cheek and turn away on her heel to walk away.

"Oh and Adam?" she said turning back to face me.

"Y-yeah?" I replied, recovering from a sudden burst of euphoria.

"What you're looking for… It might not be what you expect, and you might not like it."

**(B)**

After bidding farewell to Pewter City, we'd decided that our next stop would be Cerulean. Saying goodbye to Pewter was harder than I had expected it to be; bidding farewell to so many new friends, I felt as if I'd been there a long time after so much had happened, and to tell the truth, I'd kind of miss it.

It was a sunny day along Route Three, at least that was what the trainers seemed to call it; the path that led up to Mount Moon and beyond. Spring was definitely upon us as the soft, pink cherry blossoms from the mountain trees delicately flowed through the air in front of us carrying not only the scent of spring, but the seeds for new life to flourish.

"Aaaahh- Achoo!" April cried from behind me.

"You okay?" I asked as I turned to face her.

"Sorry… Hay-fever." April said as she wiped her bunged-up nose.

"You don't have to be sorry; you didn't get any on my badge." I chuckled.

"Haha you and that badge! You haven't stopped about it since we left Pewter!"

"Yeaah I know, but I'm just so proud of it." I said, grinning ear to ear, gazing down at it as it  
shimmered in the afternoon sun.

"But the thing is, when I battle with my Pokémon, it's like I'm a different person. I think quicker, I'm more confident and I can't think about anything else besides the battle."

"Adam used to say the same thing... I think it's the adrenaline that does it." April said stepping over a protruding tree root.

"Adrenaline, huh?" I said as I jumped up a small ledge, away from the beaten track that'd been walked countless times before.

I turned around to offer April help climbing up but I was met with a cold stare. April's eyes were wide, her pupils miniscule; looking in my direction, but not at me, at the forest behind me.

"We're going through… there?" April murmured, her gaze not shifting.

"Do you not want to?" I asked, sliding down the ledge as I did so. "It's alot quicker than going through Mount Moon - we can be in Cerulean by tonight."

And then it hit me – why didn't this occur to me earlier? This was the forest where we met. The forest where she was attacked – of course she'd be petrified of the place.

"Although… I have always wanted to see the inside of Mount Moon." I said, trying to feign a convincing and supportive smile.

"…Really?" April asked as she finally averted her gaze to me; her legs trembling.

"Of course, would I lie to you?"

Of course, I _was_lying, but it was a white lie. A lie I told to make her feel better, but it would be a lie that helped me to learn a deep secret kept in her heart.

"No… no you wouldn't." April said, sounding like she really believed me.

"So, Shall we?"

Mount Moon was meant to be a simple step on the road to Cerulean that every Pokémon trainer takes; no one seemed to mention how much of a maze it was. Chamber after chamber seemed to intertwine and entering in one end and exiting through another began to feel more like it was a challenge that you had to overcome.

The cave itself was very dark much like any other, hiding time itself from those within its walls. April took out a torch from her rucksack and switched it on to reveal a dense cavern with a wavering stream running through.

"So… which way should we go?" April asked as she looked around aimlessly.

"I don't know... Maybe if we follow this stream we'll be able to find an exit – it's got to go somewhere right?"

After following the stream for what seemed like hours, a strange sound echoed around us. It sounded like a very deep but at the same time a very relaxed roar.

"…What was that?" I asked, knowing full well that April wouldn't know the answer.

"I don't know but it sounded like it came from… wait a minute. We've already been in this cavern, I'm sure of it!"

I looked around to see the same rocky outlines that I'd seen all day, how could she tell which cavern was which? - They all looked the same!

"Great. So we've been going in circles this whole time? Where do we go now?"

"Towards the noise." April said as she started walking away.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You want to go towards the scary noise?" I said running in front of her.

"Yeah, think about it. Pokémon need to eat, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well they probably need to go outside Mount Moon to find it. So if we go towards the Pokémon, we'll probably find an exit. Didn't you think it was strange that we haven't seen one Pokémon since we've been here?"

"Oh. Well.. I… erm - Towards the noise!" I cried as I turned on my feet and lead the way.

As we walked further the noise became louder and lasted longer.

"Hey, what's that?" April asked, seeing light emanating from around the corner.

As we entered yet another cavern, we were met with pillars of moonlight that shone through three rather large holes in the cavern's ceiling. As the moonlight shone through onto the rocky walls and floor, the rocks themselves began to irradiate a minty green glow.

Suddenly the roar echoed throughout the caves again, causing April and I to cover our ears.

"Did that… sound like a yawn to you?" I asked looking at April.

"Yeah…" She said as she scanned the immediate area.

"Hey what's that?" April asked pointing to the corner where a pink and white Pokémon stood out from the green of the walls.

As we got close we could see that the small Pokémon was walking continuously into a wall, even though it wasn't getting anywhere.

**"****Slow…." **It said as it sat down, staring at the wall.

"What's it doing?" April asked.

"I dunno…" I said as I reached for my PokeDex.

**'****Slowpoke, the dopey pokemon. Slowpoke is always lost in thought; its specialty is fishing with its tail, although when it is doing this, its mind often wanders. Every springtime, masses of Slowpoke journey to beaches to evolve.' **

"Oh it must be lost, the poor thing…"April said as she picked it up.

**"…****Poke?" **

"For a Pokémon that's 'lost in thought' all the time, he doesn't seem that with it."

"But it soooo cuuuute!" April said as she pushed the Slowpoke's face against hers. "I've decided! I'm taking him to a beach to evolve!"

"The next beach is a long way away.."

"Well I could always capture him..." April said, pouting her bottom lip, and widening her ocean blue eyes eyes. "…Pleease?"

April didn't have any Pokeballs of her own besides Mankey's, so she needed one of the ones I'd been given from Ivy - I couldn't really say no to her.

"Okay, okay." I said as I handed her a pokeball.

"Do you want to come with me?" April asked the pokemon as she gently tapped it with the sphere of red and white and it disappeared inside.

April held the pokeball in her hands as she watched it sway back and forth. The center button flickered a faded red until it the ball stopped moving entirely.

"Hey April, you've just caught your first Pokémon!"

"Yeah I did, didn't I?" April said as she let out a loud yawn.

"You wanna set up camp?" She asked.

"Yeah, okay." I cried as a yawn took me by suprise, and I forgot to cover my mouth.

"Well... That's a nice view."

As the moonlight beamed down on us, we looked through the holes in the cave to see the starlit sky above. Much like the sky, every inch of the cave around us seemed to shimmer from the power of the moon.

We both lay, wrapped up tightly in our sleeping bags. April was snuggled up closely to her new Pokémon, silently staring upwards while I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable on the cold, rocky floor; eventually giving up.

While April stared at the sky, I was enchanted by the cave's radiance.

"You know..." I began, turning to face her. "They say Mount Moon is where some Pokémon arrived from outer space on comets…"

April didn't respond to my comment in the slightest. In fact, she hadn't even acknowledged that I'd said anything at all.

"Maybe this place is a giant comet… that could be why it glows like this at night." I said again, but still to no response.

"Well that's what I think anyway." I said as I turned onto my back, resting my head on my folded arms behind me.

It was too quiet… April always seemed to have something to say, but at nights she would barely make a sound. She would just… stare. There had to be a reason.

"April, are you okay?" I asked.

She remained silent.

"You like to stare at the moon, huh? I've seen you do it for a while now; I like to look up at the sky too."

A single tear suddenly began rolling down the side of April's face.

"My parents used to tell me; 'If you miss someone who is far away, remember to look up at the moon. Because we all share the same moon in the same sky, and no matter how far away someone is, they will see it too.' So every night I look up at that moon and I see my parents, and for a brief moment it makes me happy…"

"Why only for a brief moment?"

"Because then I remember that they're not here – the Rockets made sure of that."

"Team Rocket? - The criminals?! What did they do to them?"

"T-team Rocket they…" April began but stopped to compose herself. "Adam and me… We're not from Valencia Island; we lived on Cleopatra Island until the Rockets attacked. They burnt down the town without any warning, looking for something… a clue to where someone was.

The night the flames spread throughout town Adam helped me into the woods to hide and just as he was about to go back for mum and dad we saw two Rockets drag them from our house while a third looked on with a sick look of pleasure on her face. She asked them where someone named Giovanni was and they didn't know. The woman looked down at them as she told her Arbok to constrict itself around them, making them scream out in pain while she asked the question again. Mum and dad pleaded with her, saying that they didn't know but the woman didn't believe them and… and… Arbok bit my mum.

It was just like she was going to sleep… Daddy was screaming and trying to get free and we wanted to get up and help him but we had to keep quiet and stay hidden. The woman asked him once more, but he just didn't care and yelled at her saying everything that we wanted to. The redhead looked down at him and chuckled, calling him pathetic. Adam must've known what was about to happen as he pulled me to my feet as he made us rush into the woods. I struggled to run back to see or even try and help but then all I heard was the redheaded woman yell; 'Constrict!' and then Daddy let out a cry of sheer pain the echoed through the forest.

It was… horrible." April murmured; her eyes filled with tears. Her eyes showed a sadness that far outweighed anything that I'd seen, and I could tell that this must've been the first time she'd ever confided in anyone.

I was blown away. I didn't know what to say. What could I say? Apart from:  
"April… I'm so sorry."

"We just kept running until we couldn't anymore and eventually we found the dock and stowed away in the first ferry we found. We fell asleep among all the cargo and when we woke up we were surrounded by police and a woman in a lab coat. We were in pretty bad shape and were taken to rest at the woman's lab. When we were better she offered us jobs as her assistants for a while, and we stayed with her for a year and a half until we had the money to come to Kanto, to find Team Rocket."

"But April… didn't team rocket disband about a year and a half ago? They're not around anymore – it was on the news."

"That's what they say… but somehow I just know that they're still out there, and I'm gonna find them."

"Well then, I'll help too!" I declared, feeling determined to do anything I could to help.

"Really?" April asked.

"Yep, I'll give it my best!"

"Thank you Alex." April said as she leant over to hug me.

"No problem." I said, hugging her back.

"You wanna hear something funny?" April said in my ear.

"Shoot."

"The woman with the lab was Professor Ivy – your sister. That's why when I found out who you were I just… felt so close to you already and I knew I had to go with you when the time came." April said as she pulled away and looked me straight in the eye.

"So you knew each other before… is that how Adam got his first Pokémon?"

"Yeah, it was a present just before we came to Kanto, Adam didn't let me have one, saying that battling was too dangerous. He was really over-protective ever since it all happened, and I think he'll be better off on his own for a while..."

"I hope so…"

"Well anyway, I think we should probably go to sleep." April said as she leaned over and kissed my forehead, her lips warm and gentle to my skin.  
"Goodnight Alex."

"…Goodnight April." I said, laying down suddenly feeling warm in the moonlight.

"And Alex… Thank you for lying to me."


	12. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11 – There's No Place Like Home**_

"You're not going to wiiin!" I jeered back to April as I speedily sprinted down a series of luscious green hills.

After exiting out of the darkness of Mount Moon to the rather harsh sunlight of Route Four, April challenged me and my Pokémon to a race against her and her Pokémon.

Each team had to have all of its respective members at the bottom of the hill to claim victory. While Sandshrew and Ditto had a clear lead on everyone, with Ditto imitating Sandshrew's Sandshrew-ball, Mankey was close behind swinging itself through the trees. Next up was me, with April hot on my tail, and then lastly, trailing behind was Slowpoke who seemed oblivious to the whole scenario.

"Wanna bet?" April cried, increasing her speed so we were neck and neck.

"Aha, even if you beat me, –huff- Slowpoke's still ages behind - he'll never catch up!" I said, looking over to the finish line to see three Pokémon already there and then pointing behind me to make my point.

But suddenly I lost focus and consequently my footing as I fell and began rolling uncontrollably down the hill, picking up tremendous speed.

_'__This could actually work out benefitting me...'_I thought until I crashed into a giant rock protruding from the ground, knocking me unconscious for a brief moment, right before the finish line.

As I came to in a crumpled mess, I saw the white tip of Slowpoke's tail just passing the rock that stopped my roll to victory before hearing the happy cries of April and her Pokémon.

"You know what they say…" April said as she perched herself on top of the rock. "Slow and steady wins the race!"

"You're telling me…" I said, holding my aching head.

My vision began to readjust as I rose to my feet with the help of April, but after I did so, something caught my eye.

A few familiar fields, the smell of straw in the air and a rickety old barn; how could I have forgotten? – I was home… but something wasn't right.

"This farm… It's my home." I said.

"Really? How come you didn't say that we had to go past it? You're not supposed to go back there are you?"

"Well I'd completely forgotten that we had to go past it to get to Cerulean, but I dunno… something's not right. I've been gone for over a week now; I would've expected at least a barrage of phone calls asking where I am, I just... need to see if they're okay." I said as I began walking towards the gate.

April did a quick run to catch up to me; "But the professor said-"

"-Ivy said not to tell mum, and I have no intention of even speaking to her; I'll only be quick, I doubt anyone will see me." I said, my ears still ringing from hitting the rock.

As we walked into the farm with our Pokémon following us, I looked around from the old barn, to the field, to the house; each one was as empty as the next and none had even the faintest sign of life.

"Something_ is_wrong, there should be Miltank in the field, Mareep around the barn and at least one person tending to the crops, but there's nothing!"

"Doesn't it seem… darker to you?" April asked.

"Huh? …Yeah it does." I said as we looked around us to see that the sunlight had disappeared from around us and the farm had a shadow cast over it.

"Alex, look up there." April said, pointing to a large cloud in the sky that seemed to be blocking out the sun.

"It's not moving with the wind… but everything else is."

"That's not possible is it?" April asked.

I looked around for some kind of answer, anything that would tell me what was going on until I saw something that made my heart drop.

"Oh no…" I said under my breath.

"..Is it?" April asked again.

"Mum?!" I cried as I ran over to a woman who was strewn across the floor. She had been hidden from view by a fence and her head and tied up brown hair were damp from a tipped over bucket next to her.

"Mum? Mum!? What happened?" I yelled, not knowing what to do.

April stood behind me, she looked frozen with fear. "I-Is she okay?"

"I-I don't know, how do I know?!" I cried, my eyes beginning to well up.

"Look-Look her chest is moving!"

"You're right!" I cried as my heart steadied a bit. "Mum, wake up!" I said as I began to gently shake her.

"Do you hear that?" April asked.

"Hear what? I can't hear anything, why won't she wake up April?" I cried as I suddenly heard the sound of grass being flattened by things falling to the ground.

"April?!" I asked again and I turned around to see April and our Pokémon strewn across the ground just as my mother was.

"Not you too! C'mon everyone, get up!" I cried, not knowing what was going on around me.

April, Ditto, Slowpoke, Sandshrew and my mum had all collapsed onto the ground, but not one of them even stirred as I tried to get them to regain consciousness.

"…Please?" I muttered while my eyes began to glisten as tears filled them to the brim, ready to pour down my cheeks in a heartbeat.

Suddenly the tree next to the barn began shaking vigorously making newly grown leaves fall to the ground much before their time.

Was this it? Was this the thing that was going to make me catatonic like all the others?

I looked up as the tree stopped shaking and a patch of white fur poked over the top of the branches and then swung downwards towards the trunk. I instinctively shut my eyes, but began to reopen them after a few seconds as I felt no immediate presence around me.

As I did so I saw a familiar face dangling from the tree by his tail.

"Mankey! – You're okay!" I cried, running over to the pokemon.

**"****Key-Key!"**He cried, as he swung himself off of the tree and onto my shoulder.

As I tussled his fur, I began to think.

_'__Why is it that Mankey and I remain unharmed while the others dropped to the ground like flies?' _

I didn't have much time to dwell on it however, as Mankey jumped off of my shoulder and started to run off towards the far side of the barn.

"Mankey wait! Where are you going?!" I yelled, running after him, leaving the others behind.

Mankey was definitely showing me something important, but as I ran past the opened door of the barn, I had to double-take as something caught my eye.

I took a few steps back and went inside barn; all of the Mareep were in the same state on the floor as the others were, but that wasn't what caught my eye. In the middle of all of the Mareep was a scruffy pile of brown that looked to be made up of a feathery substance.

**'****This is definitely not part of the barn…'**I thought as I slowly reached out my hand to touch it.

As my hand touched a light brown portion of the pile, it seemed to twitch and before I knew it, the pile transformed into several Hoothoot and Noctowl flying away in all different directions. I immediately dropped to the floor and covered my head only to become covered in feathers; so much so that a Noctowl would probably mistake me for one of its own.

I uncovered my head and began brushing myself down as I returned to my feet and saw that something had been under the pile of pokemon. And that something had been someone – my dad!

"Dad… You as well?" I said to myself, kneeling back down beside him. My dad was the typical farmer type – big boots, checkered shirt, jeans and light brown hair. He wasn't frail by any means, but he was getting on a bit and wasn't as strong as he would make himself out to be.

I looked up to the roof of the barn and saw the Hoothoot and Noctowl perched on the beams looking down at us and a realization hit me.

"You were… keeping him warm weren't you?" I said to them.

A single Noctowl tilted its head as if to agree.

"Thank you…" I said as Mankey appeared at the door screaming;** "Man! Mankey!" **

I quickly rose to my feet again as I rushed to the door. "I'll be back soon, dad!"

As I ran back outside, I saw the cloud in the sky from earlier but it seemed to have doubled in size. I stopped in my tracks, gob smacked.

_'__What is happening?' _I thought as I continued following Mankey around the barn, hoping that he had an answer.

Once we got to the back of the barn, Mankey stood still and began pointing at a stack of old wooden boxes and barrels.

"Mankey, there's nothing here - we don't have time for this!" I said as I turned around, not believing him.

**"****KEY!"**Mankey insisted, still pointing.

I figured that Mankey must've seen something to insist like that so I hoisted myself up onto one of the big boxes and saw that there was something behind it.

"What are they?.." I asked as I reached for my PokeDex.

**'****Swablu, the cotton bird Pokémon. This Pokémon that has wings like cottony clouds which it uses to clean any unclean surface including people of which it is not afraid of. After enduring winter, in which little food is available, Swablu flocks move closer to towns in the spring.'**

The tiny Swablu had sky blue bodies with two long feathers upon their heads with two lengthy wings that looked like cotton buds. However one had a bruised and bent wing, whereas the other looked fine but was clearly concerned for the injured one as it lovingly nestled its beak up against it.

"Oh no… Hey there little guy." I said, carefully reaching over to pick up the injured Swablu. "I'm gonna help you out."

I reached into my backpack as I lay the injured Swablu on my lap, to get a phial of red liquid. I dabbed some of it on a spare piece of cloth and gently rubbed the little Pokémon's wing with it.

The second Swablu flew up from behind me and landed on my head and began nestling itself there.  
I simply said; "Well… Okay." And carried on.

The injured Swablu cried out as I rubbed the cloth but I knew that I was doing some good so I carried on until it looked slightly better and became slightly whiter.

"You know your wings do look alot like... clouds." I said to the Swablu as I returned my things to my backpack.

Suddenly the sky became much darker as the ominous cloud looked as if it was about to crash into the farm. I could hear a faint eerie noise, but I couldn't work out what it was.

"Oh no…" I said, putting two and two together and running around the barn to hide inside, carrying the two Swablu with me.

The cloud seemed to be reaching out to the ground in front of us as just before I got to the barn, a giant blue behemoth appeared in front of me from it, crashing to the floor, making me lose my balance and fall to the ground.

As I fell to the ground, so did my PokeDex; making the screen light up and the bell chime.

**'****Altaria; the humming Pokémon, and the evolved form of Swablu. As Altaria fly across the sky they resemble small clouds and are known for their beautiful high-pitched song. They are very protective of their young and are capable of unleashing intensely hot fireballs from their mouths if provoked.' **

"…Uh oh."

My arms quivered in fear as I held the injured Swablu in my arms, staring up at the intimidating presence of the Altaria. Its four front claws along with its back ones were firmly rooted to the ground as its long neck stretched out towards me placing its face inches away from my own. The Altaria hissed through its gleaming white beak as its eyes stared straight into my own, unnerving me to my core.

Suddenly the ominous cloud looming above us seemed to burst into a flurry of Swablu that began to circle overhead while others perched themselves on telephone lines, on top of the barn, the house, all around me as if to tell me there would be no escape should I run.

With the disappearance of the 'cloud', the sun again began to shine on the farm and was welcomed against my skin, but it was nothing against Altaria's fiery breath that I could feel floating around my cheeks.

The Altaria looked up towards the Swablu flock as if to issue an order and immediately after they began to sway oddly from side to side in unison chirping something that I couldn't quite make out. The Altaria looked back at me as if it was confused and wanted something.

So, without making any sudden movements I slowly moved my hands over to pick up the injured Swablu from my lap, but as I wasn't looking I accidently touched its injured wing making it cry out in pain, which subsequently caused Altaria to let out an ear-shattering roar that made my ears pop.

The ringing that had plagued my ears since I hit my head had stopped – I could hear again! The sounds of the fields of corn swaying in breeze, and a strange melodic chirping from the Swablu, it seemed almost… peaceful. But I wasn't about to celebrate as I again reached for the injured Swablu in my lap and gently picked it up in my arms and held it forward as a peace offering.

"I-I didn't hurt it… I found it like this and… and…" I said as my eyes suddenly became heavy and kept shutting as I was speaking, forcing me to open them again. "I help…" I continued, but only for my eyes to completely shut and before I knew it; I was asleep after falling forwards to the floor.

As I began to wake up I experienced a strange, yet warm feeling of every muscle in my body relaxing; my eyelids no longer felt as if they were weighed down by a Snorlax and my drowsiness had vanished entirely. I didn't want to open my eyes to break free from this state of serenity until I heard cries of **"Swablu, Swablu!"**followed by a sharp prodding of something tapping my head and memories of the scenario I was in the middle of came flooding back to me.

I opened my eyes to find that I was coated in a pure white aura that seemed to be flowing outwards from the uninjured Swablu perched on my head and waved over my body like a soft sheet of silk.

As I began to make sense of the environment around me again, I could hear Mankey and the Injured Swablu frantically crying and chirping their respective names along with the rest of the flock towards the Altaria who seemed less hostile than before. It seemed as if they were pleading with the Altaria see the truth.

Whilst I rose to my feet, Altaria bent its long neck downwards so it's head was level with the Swablu's and gently nuzzled its beak against it, almost as a sign of apology.

I walked towards them, but as the grass crunched under me, Altaria's gaze sharply averted in my direction, and I was unsure of how to go on. So I began to talk to see if it would understand me, people always said Pokémon understand human speech.

"Please… your friend, the little Swablu… I found him already injured with his friend behind my barn, so I bandaged him up and helped him; but my friends, they're all still asleep, so please can you help them for me?"

Altaria lifted its head up and its expression completely changed from hostility to compassion, the brown of its eyes seemed to become less intense and its eyebrows lifted.

_'__Has it worked?'_I thought as Altaria suddenly opened its wings to show its full wingspan in all its glory. And with that, my PokeDex lit up again from the floor and uttered:

**'****If an Altaria bonds with a person, it will gently envelop the friend with its soft wings.' **

I cautiously stepped forward, still skeptical of how quickly this blue behemoth had become friendly, but as I drew closer, Altaria closed its enormous wings and pulled me in. At first I squirmed but Altaria's wings didn't just look like clouds they felt as soft as you'd think clouds would be against my skin. My face was immediately warmed by the heat emanating from its furry chest and the metronomic beat of its heart was relaxing as I hugged the Pokémon back.

As I hugged Altaria I felt its chest begin to gently vibrate against me as its gentle soprano voice began to echo throughout the farm, humming something that sounded similar to Ave Maria. Soon after the Swablu all began to join in creating a very rich harmony. As the cloudy Pokémon sang their song, a flowing white aura began stretching out from each one of them, similar to the one I'd seen not too long ago, covering the ground as far as I could see. It was almost too bright to look at.

The same feeling of serenity and purity rushed over me as the song came to an end and the light dissipated. Suddenly I heard sounds of stirring from different directions followed by mooing from the Miltank and cries of **"Mareeeeep!" **from inside the barn. As I was released from the hug by the Altaria, I could see that behind it, my Mum, April and the Pokémon all began to stir.

"Thank you." I said as I smiled up to Altaria who, in response, gave a short bow to me before picking up the injured Swablu and beginning to flap its wings, creating a very powerful gust that almost unraveled my scarf, before hoisting itself into the air.

I ran towards April and my mother as the Altaria let out an elegant cry that caused the Sawblu flock to take off into the air and join it before flying further into the sky up and over me. I waved goodbye as they neared the distance and I heard the injured Swablu cry out one last time as if to say goodbye.

I leant down in the middle of April and my mum and putting their heads on my lap as April's eyes began to open.

"Hey there you." I said as I smiled down at her.

"Hi… Why are there bird-clouds in the sky?"


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12 – Felina and the Bird**_

The usual floorboards creaked as we stumbled through the front door into the living room, April helping my mum to a chair whilst I helped my dad. The smell of home hit me as I sat my waking dad onto a dining chair; the smell of polished mahogany and oak drifted around the room coupled with the smells of countless meals my mum had cooked on the old, black stove.

I took a second to take it all in and then signaled to April that we should start tiptoeing out so we wouldn't be seen. I stepped with such precision, dodging every floorboard I knew made even the slightest creak when stood upon that it felt like an art form. April on the other hand, didn't have a clue.

She reached the front door and started to open it but was met with a ghastly cry from the hinges. We both gasped, fearing my parents had been woken, but thankfully, were still near enough where we'd left them. April decided not to open it any wider than she had to as she squeezed through the narrow gap almost perfectly, doing a celebratory jump on the grass outside.

There was no way I was going to fit through a gap that size but I had to try. I breathed as far in as I could and approached the gap, turning sideways I took the smallest steps I could to fit through. My heart beat grew faster and faster, either from the danger or the lack of oxygen and then it skipped a beat entirely when I heard; "Alexander James Ivy! Where have you been?!"

I fell to the floor from the shock.

It was my mum; short but intimidating, with a friendly smile or a scornful frown depending on her mood. She was wearing her usual orange bandanna that was a nice compliment to the soft shade of brown in her hair that matched her farming dress.

"H-h-hi Mum…" I said, already scared by the bulging vein on her forehead.

"Two days you should've been gone! – Two! Your father and I were worried sick – not even a phone call! What were you doing all this time?"My mum cried, her voice coarse from just waking up.

"Well you see I.. uh. I got the package from Ivy and… she made me do some errands for her, you know, things around Pewter City."

"That's not what she said in the letter… Oh when I get a hold of her…"Mum said as she walked off towards the phone.

Thoughts rushed through my head thinking how I was going to get out of this one… and back onto my journey. I looked behind me through the now open door to see April hiding behind a small bush pointing to her hat for some reason; she was quite well hidden, the only giveaway was the white in her hat. I mouthed 'wait here' to her as I got up and walked over the room, past my dad who looked kind of scared and had barely made a sound since he'd woken up, to where the phone was ringing.

"When did we get a videophone?" I asked, curious as to where it had appeared from.

"It was going to be a surprise for when you got back." Mum replied as Ivy's Lab came into view followed by a wave of blue covering the screen.

Mum began to hit the side of the screen convinced something was wrong.

"H-hello?" Came a voice through the microphone.

"Ivy… move back." I said bluntly, knowing the girl all too well.

"Oh.. sorry." Ivy said as she took a step back so we could see her, her face covered in dirt and leaves of sorts.

"Felina Rose Ivy, There you are!"

"...Mum?!" Ivy cried out as she saw the two of us together.

Ivy had always hated her forename, she'd never let anyone call her by it... except Mum.

"Why did you lie to us in the letter? You said he'd be gone for two days! Didn't you think to tell us what he was doing?" Mum said as I took a step back and mimed 'no' to Ivy while waving my hand near my neck.

Ivy glanced over to me before averting her gaze back to mum and slyly replied "…What he was doing?"

"You sent him on errands around Pewter City for weeks and didn't tell us – didn't you think we'd worry?"

Ivy didn't reply, instead simply breathed a deep sigh. I was worried what would happen next.

"Well?" Mum persisted.

"Yes. I did. I knew you'd worry, because that's what you do – worry and keep everything the same, how you like it. I did Alex a favour – he wasn't running errands for me, he was doing what he's always wanted to do - he's now a Pokemon Trainer!"

"What?"

"I gave him his first pokemon and he's started off on his journey."

"But Felina, you know how dangerous it is out there! Kids his age shouldn't be journeying around out there like that."

"Mum, kids almost half his age do it! And I know you're having trouble accepting it but it's what he wants to do. He's made you happy all these years staying on the farm when you know full-well he isn't needed, can't you make him happy by letting him go?"

Mum looked down at the floor for a moment but I could tell she was really looking into herself, she looked up with eyes filled with sadness and asked; "Is this what you want to do?"

Looking at her almost made me want to stay but I couldn't lie.

"Yes, it really is." I said as my mum gently pulled me towards her and hugged me, with my dad looking on, still sat on the dining chair.

After I finished hugging my mum, she began talking to Ivy again while I slowly walked over to Dad.

"I'm sorry dad, you're going to have to wait a while until I get a 'proper' job and be more like Ivy, but this is what I want to do."

He sat with his legs spead, looked me straight in the eyes and said "Why are you sorry?"

"Because you always said that I should_ 'be more like your sister'_."

"I didn't mean that Alex, I wanted you to be more like Ivy by getting out there and doing something you love. I would never stop you from doing whatever it is that you wanted to. And if you ever need anything, anything at all, just give us a ring because we're never too far away."

"Thanks dad." I said turning around to face the door, hiding the fact that I was welling up.

Seeing the open door reminded me that April was still outside, so I walked up to it and waved to her to come inside. She looked hesitant but still came.

"Mum, Dad, I'd like to introduce you to my friend April. We're travelling together now." I said as sh poked her head through the doorway.

"It's n-nice to meet you…" April said, holding out her hand.

"Likewise young lady." My dad said with a smile as his hand met hers.

"Ohh it's so nice that Alex has made a friend." My mum said rushing over to hug her.

"Did you leave her out there this whole time?" My mum said as she lightly slapped me on the back of the head.

"Ow! Well in case you didn't notice I was trying to sneak out…" I said as I rubbed my head better.

"Well it seems that April is better at that than you and you live here!" Dad said as we all began to laugh.

"So," Mum began, sitting down on the sofa, "tell us about your journey so far."

After a lengthy catch-up with Mum, Dad, April and Ivy on the videophone, I decided we should probably leave fairly soon as I was eager to get to Cerulean to get my next badge.

"Can't you just stay for tonight?" Mum asked, concerned about the lateness of the hour.

"No, no. I know the way to Cerulean, we'll be there by midnight I'm sure."

"Alright, well at least let me clean you up a bit first." She said as she vigourously rubbed my cheeks with her thumb.

"It looks like you still have some fluff in your hair from what happened earlier…"

"Yeah I tried to point that out to you –"

"-AHH! It's got feet!" Mum screamed.

"Swablu?! I thought you'd flown off with your friends." I cried after running to the mirror as a little head poked out from the clump of cloudy white fur that sat upon my head.

Swablu raised her head and calmly chirped her name before burying it back into her fur.

"…What was that about?" April asked.

"I dunno." I said back. "She seemed a bit… grouchy."

"Maybe Swablu fell asleep of something and didn't fly off with the rest of them?"

"I don't think so… Swablu was the one that used recover to wake me up when I fell asleep. Well in anycase she can't stay on my head forever." I said reaching up to lift the bird off.

I scooped Swablu's relatively small body under my hands, but as I lifted I felt a sharp pain on my head.

"Ow!"

"-What is it?" April asked, concerned.

I slowly began to lift Swablu up a few centimetres above my head, and as I did so I could feel something tugging against my scalp.

"Ahh - It's latched onto my hair!" I cried as April began to laugh.

"It's not funny you know." I said as I tried to gently tug at the strands around Swablu's claws. For a tiny bird it had a brilliant grip as I couldn't free a single strand of hair.

I began to panic as I couldn't free myself from Swablu's grip. After throwing a few ideas around with my family, my mum proposed that I simply cut off what it was holding on to. I refused.

Regardless, we tried standing outside amongst the stars and giving Swablu the chance to fly away freely and yet still, it did not budge.

"Well I'm out of ideas.." My dad said, sitting down on a bench outside the house, his stomach on show from the unflattering position he was sat in.

"You could feed it…" My mum proposed as she leant on an old fence post.

"I already tried that. She didn't like any of the poffins I had."

Everyone then seemed to let a simultaneous sigh of bewilderment and exhaustion. As I glanced over to April I saw something light up in her eyes, almost as if something had clicked into place.

"You could always catch it." April stated. "You've still got three pokeballs left from the professor don't you?"

"I suppose." I said as I rummaged through my backpack to find my three unused pokeballs rolling around at the bottom.

"Well here goes nothing…" I muttered, taking a pokeball in my hand and tapping Swablu with it.

Swablu became enveloped in a red aura and was transported inside, the pokeball swaying vigourously.

"Ah finally I can itch my-" I began until the pokeball burst open with a dark blue glow, and Swablu reappeared, latched to my hair; "…head."

"Hmm… I have an idea." April said, walking further outside before turning to face me.

"I hope it's better than your last one." I said becoming a bit frustrated.

April took a pokeball from her belt and threw it into the air and released Slowpoke from its white and red bed.

"Okay Slowpoke – confusion let's go!"

"What?!" I cried as Slowpoke's empty eyes suddenly became darker than black while Swablu became encased in a dark purple glow that seemed to make all of its hairs stand on end and its grip lessen.

"Haha, yes Slowpoke well done!" April cried, feeling empowered by her new pokemon's power as Swablu fell to the floor.

"Now Alex, you take over!" April cried over to me as I scrambled to get a hold of a pokeball on my belt.

"Go Sandshrew!" I cried, releasing the little sand-mouse into the fray.

Swablu rose to its feet, looking dazed but determined to reclaim its spot as it began flapping its wings.

"Quick, sand-attack!" I cried as Sandshrew drew its sharp claws and scraped them across the ground, throwing dirt into Swablu's face, as it flew traight past me and struggled to land properly.

"Now Sandshrew, use rollout to finish this off!" I cried.

Sandshrew began running to pick up speed and then smoothly began rolling in a ball leaving a trail of dust in his wake. Swablu seemed to noticed the incoming attack but didn't react quick enough as the attack connected and Swablu was thrown forwards by the impact.

"Now Alex!" April cried as I threw my pokeball through the air.

It hit the Swablu and seemed to swallow the fallen pokemon inside as it gently rocked back and forth, the middle button flashing as it did so until the ball stood still, calmed by the chime that rang signalling a capture.

"Weh-hey!" We caught a new friend Sandshrew!" I said as I ran over and picked him and the pokeball up alongside cheers from April and Mum and Dad.

"Thanks guys." I said, my cheeks turning a rosy shade of red.

"You'll make a great pokemon trainer Alex. I can tell." My mum said as she patted my head.

"Go get 'em son." Added my dad, patting me on the shoulder while I released Swablu from its pokeball.

Swablu looked around as April and I released all of our pokemon.

"Swablu this is everyone, everyone – Swablu. She's our newest friend."

All of the pokemon said their names as if to extend a greeting. Swablu shyly reciprocated before flying into the air and landing on my head, curling up into her fur.

"Well... that solved the problem."

"You're late."

"I'm sorry Boss, it couldn't be helped. There were… complications."

"I hope they were dealt with accordingly. Anything to report regarding stage one?"

"Regrettably not Boss, we have no conclusive leads to report as of yet. Are you positive this will work?"

"Fear not Ariana, I have a plan."


End file.
